Behavior change is key to increasing the uptake of evidence into healthcare practice and improving health outcomes. A variety of psychological theories have been used to explain health care professional behaviors and cognitions across a range of behaviors and settings. However, the large number of theories and overlapping constructs presents a challenge for knowing how to select and apply theories when exploring specific behaviors.
The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), which includes constructs from 33 behavior change theories, was developed to make theories more accessible for implementation researchers. The aim of this thematic series is to document the impact of this theoretical framework on implementation research and to consider its strengths, limitations, and potential for further use and development.
The papers included in the series demonstrate the breadth of behaviors, clinical settings, designs, and methods that have used the TDF; explain how the TDF can be operationalized and applied to explore implementation problems and design implementation interventions; describe theoretical and methodological developments based on the TDF; raise questions that may suggest an agenda for future TDF research.
This collection of articles has not been sponsored and articles have undergone the journal’s standard peer review process.