What is implementation science?
Michael Moesmann Madsen
MD, MSc, MPH, PhD cand.
What is implementation science?
Traditional methods of dissemination and translation of
evidence-based interventions into practice have not closed the quality gap or reduced disparities – why?
They do not account for community and cultural context
They focus on individuals without using community resources
Research findings are often disseminated through scientific journals rather than to communities
RCTs, the gold standard of clinical research,
emphasize internal validity over generalizability, and often exclude vulnerable populations
Three special influences in implementation
science
Implementation outcomes require different
study designs
Effectiveness and implementation can be
evaluated simultaneously
Examples of implementation measures
Overcoming “Not Invented Here syndrome”
requires integration across three dimensions
Source: Opening the Black Box of “Not Invented Here”: Attitudes, Decision Biases, and Behavioral Consequences by Piller & Antons in Academy of Management Perspectives (2015)
NIH = not invented here
Key to integrate across geographical, disciplinary and organizational boundaries
