Evaluating the Effectiveness and Implementation of an Organizational Model Promoting Interprofessional Collaboration in Home Care (RIAP): Protocol for a Multi-Method Study Using the RE-AIM Framework

Background: With an aging population and increasing comorbidities, supporting people to remain at home for as long as possible is essential. A major challenge in home care is ensuring coordinated, interprofessional collaboration among all actors involved: patients and their close ones, health and social care professionals, and the broader health and social network. To address this challenge, a new organizational model promoting reinforced interprofessional collaboration, the "Reseau Interprofessionnel Ambulatoire de Proximite" (Local Interprofessional Outpatient Network; RIAP) has recently been developed in the canton of Geneva. The aim of this paper is to present the protocol for a research project evaluating both the effectiveness and implementation of this model. Methods: This is a type-2 hybrid effectiveness implementation study guided by the RE-AIM framework, aiming to evaluate the RIAP organizational model and its implementation, context, and outcomes. This multi-method study will examine the RIAP model under real-world conditions. Routinely collected data on patient outcomes and institutional processes will be used to compare the RIAP model with usual care. Questionnaires will assess patients' perceptions of continuity of care, professionals' perceptions of interprofessional collaboration, and stakeholders' views on the acceptability of the model. Open-ended questions will be included to explore experiences and insights in greater depth, complemented by qualitative data on barriers and facilitators to implementation. Financial indicators will also be analyzed to contextualize the model within the institutional setting. Results: The EFFI-RIAP project began in October 2025 and has a planned duration of 22 months. The project will primarily rely on the reuse of institutional routine data, complemented by questionnaires and interviews scheduled for September 2026. At the time of submission, study preparation and institutional data processing are ongoing. Discussion: This research will provide insights into the clinical, organizational, and implementation-related effects of the RIAP model compared with usual care. The natural deployment of new RIAP teams will enable investigation of the organizational model under real-world conditions. The combined evaluation of the effectiveness and implementation of RIAP will assess the model's added value, inform refinement, and identify potential barriers and facilitators relevant to implementation in other teams.