Access to safe, high-quality surgical care in sub-Saharan Africa is a critical gap. Interventions to improve surgical quality have been developed, but research on their implementation is still at a nascent stage. We retrospectively applied the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment framework to characterize the implementation of Safe Surgery 2020, a multicomponent intervention to improve surgical quality.

We used a longitudinal, qualitative research design to examine Safe Surgery 2020 in 10 health facilities in Tanzania's Lake Zone. We used documentation analysis with confirmatory key informant interviews (n = 6) to describe the exploration and preparation phases. We conducted interviews with health facility leaders and surgical team members at 1, 6, and 12 months (n = 101) post initiation to characterize the implementation phase. Data were analyzed using the constant comparison method.

In the exploration phase, research, expert consultation, and scoping activities revealed the need for a multicomponent intervention to improve surgical quality. In the preparation phase, onsite visits identified priorities and barriers to implementation to adapt the intervention components and curriculum. In the active implementation phase, 4 themes related to the inner organizational context—vision for safe surgery, existing surgical practices, leadership support, and resilience—and 3 themes related to the intervention—innovation-value fit, holistic approach, and buy-in—facilitated or hindered implementation. Interviewees perceived improvements in teamwork and communication and intra- and inter-facility learning, and their need to deliver safe surgery evolved during the implementation period.

Examining implementation through the exploration, preparation, implementation, and sustainment phases offers insights into the implementation of interventions to improve surgical quality and promote sustainability.