Integrating Implementation Science with Quality Improvement to Improve Perinatal Outcomes

Abstract

Implementation science is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to contribute generalizable knowledge that can improve the translation of clinical evidence in routine care. To promote the integration of implementation science approaches with health care quality improvement, the authors offer a framework that links the Model for Improvement with implementation strategies and methods. Perinatal quality improvement teams can leverage the robust frameworks of implementation science to diagnose implementation barriers, select implementation strategies, and assess the strategies' contribution to improving care. Partnerships between implementation scientists and quality improvement teams could accelerate efforts by both groups to achieve measurable improvements in care.

Keywords: Implementation research; Implementation science; Implementation strategies; Model for Improvement; Quality improvement.