Course content 

You will be introduced to implementation science as a discipline that generates evidence about closing the "know-do" gap and what is needed to support the implementation of evidence-based practices in the real world by dispelling some common misconceptions.

The course will make clear the distinction between what is implemented (implementation strategies versus evidence-based practices), what constitutes outcomes in implementation research and how we make sense of influential contextual factors.

The course will highlight commonly used theories, models and frameworks in implementation science such as CFIR, RE-AIM, EPIS, COM-B, Normalisation Process Theory and PARIHS, and will introduce case studies. You will cover the robust design of implementation research and explore how different methodologies are used, including hybrid effectiveness-implementation trials. Finally, you will consider how implementation research is foundational to the scale-up and scale-out of evidence-based practices.

An electronic Certificate of Attendance will be issued upon completion. 

Teaching approaches

• Lectures introducing the concepts and principles 
• Interactive activities to reinforce learning 
• Case studies
• Post session self-study and practice 
• Delivered through fully online platforms that are designed to be accessible for different types of learners 

Timetable 

Week 1  

Defining implementation science, implementation research, and core related concepts.

Timing: up to 3 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities 

Week 2  

Implementation outcomes (e.g. acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, implementation cost, penetration, and sustainability) and how these are measured.

Timing: up to 2 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities 

Week 3  

Implementation strategies 

Timing: up to 2 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities 

Studying context in implementation research 

Timing: up to 3 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities 

Week 4  

Theories, models, and frameworks 

Timing: up to 4 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities 

Week 5  

Designing and carrying out implementation research 

Timing: up to 5 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities 

Week 6  

Scalability research and implementation science 

Timing: up to 3 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities 

Tutor Biography
Dr Tara Tancred
Dr Tancred has almost 15 years of experience carrying out implementation research. Much of her research has been embedded within large trials of complex health systems strengthening interventions. Within the context of  studies trying to improve evidence-based practice and patient-centred care, she has used and studied quality improvement and participatory interventions extensively, and has utilised evaluation approaches like process evaluation, theory of change-based evaluation, and realist evaluation.