Implementation Science (PHCM9791)

Course outcomes

This course aims to develop students’ capacities to apply appropriate concepts, frameworks and methods needed for implementation of evidence-based interventions into practice. It will provide students with the ability to identify appropriate theoretical frameworks or models to frame appropriate implementation and evaluation methods.  Students will gain methodological skills in being able to conduct real-word implementation research strategies, including problem analysis, evaluation designs for complex interventions from early stage to large scale programs, health economic evaluation, process evaluation and use of mixed methods research. The important issues of context, time, variability, resources, scalability and sustainability will be considered and their relevance and possible impact on evidence-based practice in and across differing health settings and interventions. 

By the end of this course you should be able to:

• discuss implementation science as a field of research and practice and its potential impact for producing improved health outcomes
• appraise the strengths and limitations of methods of program design including participatory and co-design for implementation, and experimental and quasi-experimental trial designs when evaluating real-world strategies
• critically examine the literature in emerging conceptual frameworks, research design and process evaluations in the field of implementation science
• identify and use appropriate methods for evaluating implementation of evidence-based intervention in diverse settings and populations

• critique an implementation case study in a real world setting, including its design, outcomes, aspects of scalability and sustainability.