Plenary 2: Keynote & Honorary Fellow Presentation - Implementation Science Now and in the Future: Addressing Impact and Health Equity

The goal of implementation science is to study the development, spread, and sustainment of broadly applicable and practical evidence-based programs, treatments, guidelines, and policies (evidence-based interventions). These evidence-based interventions need to be contextually relevant robust and applicable across diverse settings, delivery staff, and population subgroups. The underlying rationale for implementation science is simple: too often, the discovery of new knowledge begets more discovery (the next study) with little attention to how to apply research advances in real-world public health, policy, social service, and healthcare settings. This presentation will cover what the field of implementation science is (and is not), why it is important, and how it is useful for informing practice and designing your research for impact, sustainment, and equity. Along with a brief history of the field of implementation science, the presentation will highlight four key areas for the future: 1) challenges and debates about the uses, usefulness, and gaps in evidence; 2) how to enhance a focus on equity in our work; 3) the need to increase the volume and scope of policy implementation research; and 4) approaches for enhancing the impact of our work. Addressing these issues will increase the likelihood that the billions of dollars invested in health-related research will yield specific and tangible benefits for population health and health equity.

Participants should leave this webinar being able to: 

1. Describe the core elements of implementation science. 
2. Apply implementation science to your work

Competencies that will be covered include: 

4.1.3 Use logic model and/or theory for evaluation  

4.5.4 Translate findings into practice and interventions