Implementation science

Health Management Glossary

Quality Management

Definition. Implementation science is the study of methods to promote the systematic uptake of research findings and evidence-based practices into routine care.

Explanation

Nilsen classified implementation theories, models and frameworks into process models, determinant frameworks, classic theories, implementation theories and evaluation frameworks (Nilsen, 2015). Rigorous measurement is a challenge, which led to systematic reviews of implementation instruments (Lewis et al., 2015).

Tailored implementation blueprints link barriers to specific strategies (Lewis et al., 2018).

Related concepts

Evidence-based medicine Low-value care Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) Quality improvement Theory building

Read on The Health Topics

• What Theory Is, and Is Not: Thirty Years After Sutton and Staw
• Systematic Review of Implementation Science Instruments
• Tailoring Implementation Blueprints: A CBT Youth Residential Exemplar

References

Lewis, C. C., Scott, K., & Marriott, B. R. (2018). A methodology for generating a tailored implementation blueprint: an exemplar from a youth residential setting. Implementation Science, 13 (1), 76. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-018-0761-6

Lewis, C. C., Stanick, C. F., Martinez, R. G., Weiner, B. J., Kim, M., Barwick, M., & Comtois, K. A. (2015). The Society for Implementation Research Collaboration Instrument Review Project: A methodology to promote rigorous evaluation. Implementation Science, 10 (2), 1–18.

Nilsen, P. (2015). Making sense of implementation theories, models and frameworks. Implementation Science, 10, 53.

Cite this entry: Kurutkan, M. N. (2026). Implementation science. In The Health Topics glossary. https://healthtopic.org/glossary/implementation-science/

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