Implementation science research increases the uptake of evidence-based interventions, which may improve health equity among racial and ethnic minorities. However, it is unclear how anti-racism and anti-colonialism practices have been integrated into implementation science research. The objectives of this scoping review are to describe the current conceptualisations of racism and colonialism within the USA, examine racism or colonialism-conscious approaches and analyse gaps in the operationalisation of anti-racism or anti-colonialism within implementation science studies.

This scoping review will be conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews guidelines. The Center for Chronic Disease Reduction and Equity Promotion Across Minnesota conceptual framework and an implementation science anti-racism lens will guide the study design and analysis. To determine study eligibility for the scoping review, articles will undergo abstract and full-text screening by two independent reviewers and discrepancies will be settled together. Data charting will be extracted from included articles by eight independent reviewers. The search strategy will use controlled vocabulary and natural language keywords related to health equity, health disparities and anti-racism/colonialism on six databases. The scoping review will include studies that applied implementation science theories, models or frameworks among US-based populations. Additionally, included studies will report any of the following implementation activities: implementation strategies, implementation outcomes, adaptations to evidence-based interventions, or evaluations of pre-implementation or implementation context.

No ethical approval was required for the scoping review. Dissemination will be through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and conference presentations.

Social drivers of health (SDOH), such as housing stability, food security and access to transportation, profoundly influence both healthcare access and health outcomes. In pregnancy, screening positively for SDOH domains correlates with poorer perinatal outcomes. While the American college of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommends screening for SDOH at every routine prenatal visit, many prenatal practices struggle to systematically screen patients for SDOH. This study evaluates the implementation of a universal SDOH screening and management protocol in prenatal care and aims to bridge the gap between the recommendation for universal SDOH screening in prenatal care and its actual integration by evaluating implementation strategies that can serve as a guide for other prenatal care clinics.

This multi-site, prospective formative implementation evaluation will assess the integration of standardised SDOH screening and management into prenatal care workflows at four prenatal clinic sites within an academic Obstetrics and Gynaecology department. The study employs a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods approach integrating chart-abstracted patient data, staff surveys, and staff and patient semi-structured interviews, guided by established implementation science frameworks (exploration, preparation, implementation and sustainment, consolidated framework for implementation research and implementation outcomes framework). Key implementation strategies include workflow integration, electronic medical record optimisation, role clarification and comprehensive training. Implementation outcomes to be evaluated include feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, adoption, fidelity and sustainability.

This study was approved by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Institutional Review Board (IRB #24-3104). Verbal informed consent will be obtained from all interview participants, and consent will be embedded in staff surveys. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, stakeholder meetings and directly to participating clinical sites.