As ESCAPE moves into the final chapter of the project, we have our eyes on the horizon, considering next steps and the opportunities for implementation of ESCAPE’s intervention in future. To support these discussions, Professor Rod Taylor, University of Glasgow Chair of Population Health Research and co-Director of Glasgow Centre for Clinical Trials Collaboration, and key member of ESCAPE’s Advisory Board, came to talk to ESCAPE about one of his key research projects. Prof Taylor led the REACH-HF project, which was a new model of delivering rehabilitation for heart failure patients. The 12-week programme combines home visits and remote follow-ups and has proven effective in improving patient outcomes across the UK. Rod outlined how they tacked their implementation hurdles in his talk.

The implementation of REACH-HF was bolstered by it’s careful and effective design, and a slice of luck regarding timing. The programme was found to be highly cost-effective and offered accessible solutions for patients who faced barriers to attending traditional rehabilitation, at a time when the UK systems were looking to expand home delivery of services. The COVID-19 pandemic further reinforced the utilisation of REACH-HF, as alternative delivery methods became incredibly important. To date, REACH HF has been implemented in over 200 sites, with over 500 NHS sites, and is supported by the Heart Manual Office, which is a specialised department that manages the distribution and marketing of the intervention, as well as the training.

As clinical trials move from research settings to real-world applications, it is essential to consider several critical elements to ensure their successful implementation. Drawing on the learnings from REACH-HF, Rod offers the following recommendations to other clinical trials:

• Integration into Clinical Guidelines: Ensure that the trial's evidence is aligned or incorporated into national or international clinical guidelines.
• Find your Champions: Identifying champions of your interventions, including professional/patient organisations, clinicians, patients, etc., to advocate for the practical utilisation of the trial's findings.
• Commercialisation & Business Planning: For any intervention to thrive beyond the research phase, a commercialisation plan may be required. Consider who will run, promote and implement the intervention and training after the research element is finished, ensuring it is sustained over time.
• Country-Specific Targeting: One-size-fits-all approaches rarely work in healthcare. Tailoring the intervention for each country’s healthcare system is key.

As ESCAPE enters the final stages of the project, preparing for the future of the BCC intervention is a top priority. Professor Rod Taylor’s insights from his work on REACH-HF offer valuable guidance for our next steps. We sincerely thank him for his ongoing support and contributions!