Scoping implementation science for the beginner: locating yourself on the "subway line" of translational research

Meghan B Lane-Fall; Geoffrey M Curran; Rinad S Beidas

doi:10.1186/s12874-019-0783-z

Scoping implementation science for the beginner: locating yourself on the "subway line" of translational research

BMC Med Res Methodol. 2019 Jun 28;19(1):133. doi: 10.1186/s12874-019-0783-z.

Authors

Meghan B Lane-Fall^{1

2

3}, Geoffrey M Curran⁴, Rinad S Beidas^{5

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. laneme@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
² Penn Implementation Science Center at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (PISCE@LDI), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. laneme@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
³ Penn Center for Perioperative Outcomes Research and Transformation, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. laneme@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
⁴ Departments of Pharmacy Practice and Psychiatry, Center for Implementation Research, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Little Rock, USA.
⁵ Penn Implementation Science Center at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (PISCE@LDI), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3535 Market Street, 3rd floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
⁷ Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.

Abstract

Background: Beginners to the discipline of implementation science often struggle to determine whether their research questions "count" as implementation science.

Main text: In this paper, three implementation scientists share a heuristic tool to help investigators determine where their research questions fall in the translational research continuum. They use a "subway model" that envisions a journey to implementation research with stops along the way at efficacy and effectiveness research.

Conclusions: A series of structured questions about intervention efficacy, effectiveness, and implementation can help guide researchers to select research questions and appropriate study designs along the spectrum of translational research.

Keywords: Implementation science; Knowledge translation; Translational research.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Heuristics
Humans
Implementation Science*
Models, Theoretical
Outcome Assessment, Health Care / methods
Research Design*
Research Personnel*
Translational Research, Biomedical / methods*

Grants and funding

P50 MH113840/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States