What Is Implementation Science? 

At first glance, implementing new healthcare interventions appears seamless: Researchers and scientists work tirelessly to discover a new healthcare intervention that will improve the health outcomes of a particular group of people. Once the intervention is discovered, researchers swiftly disseminate it to doctors and policymakers. Within a year or two, everyone around the country will use that practice to save lives and make the world a better place. Easy, right? 

If only it were that simple. The reality is much more labor-intensive and requires the assistance of individuals skilled in implementation science. These specially trained professionals play an integral role in bridging the gap between the scientists conducting the research and the stakeholders implementing it in the real world. 

What Is Implementation Science? 

Implementation science is a branch of the health science field that focuses on helping physicians and community leaders integrate recent evidence-based ideas, practices and policies into real-world settings such as hospitals, clinics, and schools. Put simply, it comes down to bridging the gap between research and practice. 

Implementation science relies heavily on several skills for integrating new practices effectively in various settings. Some of those skills include: 

• Collaborating with and advocating for stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, such as physicians, policymakers and state agencies. 

• Conducting thorough research to understand the underlying causes of the problem being addressed. 

• Tailoring interventions and implementation strategies to meet the specific needs of the communities involved in the challenge. 

• Monitoring and evaluating the success of interventions and implementation strategies. 

• Expanding successful interventions to reach broader audiences. 

How Does Implementation Science Work? 

To get a better idea of what implementation science is, it’s helpful to picture it in action. Let’s consider a realistic scenario in the medical world. HPV-related cancers pose a significant health concern, with approximately 47,000 HPV-associated cancers occurring in the United States each year. Implementing an intervention that could effectively lower the number of individuals with HPV would require several steps: 

Step 1: Assess the Problem 

To start, implementation scientists might gather data to understand how often HPV-related cancers occur in a specific region. They would also look into other important factors that act as barriers to people receiving the HPV vaccination, such as: 

• Access to healthcare facilities. 
• Availability of HPV vaccination clinics. 
• Socioeconomic factors affecting vaccine affordability. 
• Cultural beliefs and attitudes towards vaccinations. 
• Education levels and awareness about HPV and its associated risks. 
• Healthcare provider recommendations and vaccination promotion efforts. 
• Legal and policy barriers related to vaccine distribution and administration. 

Step 2: Identify Evidence-Based Solutions 

After completing their research, the implementation team would create a list of potential evidence-based strategies to increase vaccination rates for their target region. This could include a variety of interventions, such as: 

• Community outreach and education campaigns about HPV vaccination benefits and safety. 

• Providing free or low-cost vaccination clinics in accessible locations. 

• Training healthcare providers to effectively communicate the importance of HPV vaccination to patients and parents. 

• Implementing reminder systems for vaccine appointments and follow-ups. 

• Utilizing social media and other digital platforms for targeted vaccination messaging. 

Step 3: Tailor Interventions for the Region 

At this point in the process, implementation scientists will act as liaisons between the scientific community and stakeholders in the settings where they plan to implement the intervention. 

Implementation scientists take research findings and proposed interventions, whether their own or others’, and present them to local stakeholders, simplifying the scientific information and making it easily understandable. Targeted stakeholders can include physicians, policymakers and district-wide superintendents. Our hypothetical HPV vaccine team would engage these key community members to discuss targeted practices to promote vaccination acceptance and uptake. 

Step 4: Monitor and Evaluate 

After working with stakeholders to implement the new intervention, the implementation team would then monitor several key factors to evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts. Factors they might assess include: 

• Vaccine uptake. 
• Changes in the community’s knowledge of the vaccine. 
• Changes in public attitude toward the vaccine. 
• Reductions in HPV-related diseases and cancers in the region. 

Step 5: Scale Up Successful Interventions 

Lastly, if their HPV interventions were identified as effective strategies within the community, implementation scientists would work on scaling up those interventions to reach a larger population. They might also replicate the outcome in other communities facing similar challenges with the HPV vaccination. This could involve: 

• Collaborating with healthcare organizations and policymakers to expand vaccination programs. 

• Establishing partnerships with community leaders and organizations in target areas. 

• Conducting training sessions for healthcare providers on implementing interventions effectively. 

Set Yourself Apart With an Implementation Science Graduate Certificate 

Individuals working in implementation science won’t necessarily participate in all the steps listed above. They may specialize in one or more of these areas or have entirely different responsibilities depending on their specific role, whether they’re in education, nursing, research or another health science field. 

Whether you’re embarking on a new career or seeking advanced skills to excel in your current career path, the first step in achieving your goals is choosing a program that aligns with your aspirations. UF’s online Implementation Science Graduate Certificate can help you succeed. 

Our program’s four unique courses are tailored to expanding your skills in several areas, including: 

• Implementation science. 
• Research designs. 
• Interventions in clinical and community settings, as well as in learning health systems. 
• Clinical trials and implementation science studies involving community members, clinicians, policymakers and patients in the research process. 

In as little as one year, you can complete all 11 credit hours, earning your graduate certificate and distinguishing yourself from other professionals in the field. Start the next chapter in your professional journey and make a real difference in patient and community health outcomes. Apply to our program today! 

Sources: 
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/statistics/cases.htm