BACKGROUND: Implementation research should assess the feasibility of scale up to bridge the evidence-practice gap for integrated care programs in the prevention and management of chronic conditions. Scalability assessment is the first critical step of scale up to determine the potential suitability of a promising health program to be adopted into routine practice and the fit of the program within local contexts. The Community Partnership Program (CPP), an integrated care intervention for older adults with diabetes and multiple chronic conditions, was designed at the outset with scale up in mind, and evaluated in an implementation-effectiveness randomized controlled trial across three Canadian provinces. The final phase of this program of research was to assess scalability and determine the critical factors and next steps for the development of a scale up plan. METHODS: Multiple methods were used to assess the scalability of the CPP including collection and analysis of publicly available documents, synthesis of qualitative and quantitative evidence from studies of the CPP, semi-structured interviews with key informants, feedback and recommendations arising from working group meetings and knowledge exchange workshops to discuss and rate the scalability of the program. Data collection and analysis was informed by the Intervention Scalability Assessment Tool (ISAT)
developed to support practitioners and policy makers in conducting systematic assessments of the suitability of health interventions for population scale-up in high-income countries. RESULTS: Overall, the CPP received high scalability ratings from participants. A phased, horizontal implementation and scale up process was recommended, facilitating local adaptations, on-going program evaluation, and accumulation of evidence. Challenges to scale up were identified, including the need for further evidence of program effectiveness in other diverse settings and populations, and designated funding and adequate health human resources. CONCLUSIONS: Participants agreed the CPP meets the needs of many older adults with diabetes and multiple chronic conditions
however, they suggested further tailoring of the program to support different ethnocultural groups and targeting the CPP to older adults with higher needs. The scalability assessment process was a practical method to generate concrete strategies to facilitate the uptake of the CPP into practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials.gov Identifier NCT03664583. Registration date: September 10, 2018.