Understanding implementation research

Abstract

Implementation research (IR) focuses on understanding and closing the gap between evidence-based interventions and practice. Key elements to evaluate include the design of the intervention itself, contextual barriers and enablers to implementation, the use of implementation strategies as well as the achievement of implementation outcomes. This article gives an overview of IR for doctoral-level researchers in the fields of family medicine and primary care. The consolidated framework for IR and socioecological model are considered for making sense of the contextual factors. A typology of implementation strategies is also described to make conceptualisation, reporting and sharing of findings easier. Standard implementation outcomes are described, such as coverage or reach, acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, costs and sustainability. The RE-AIM framework for implementation outcomes is described. Finally, different study designs are discussed, including hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs and approaches to reporting using the IR logic model.