Ten years of evolving methods in implementation research

Background Enhancing the routine uptake of research findings remains strategically important for efforts to improve the organisation, delivery and quality of healthcare. Implementation research is the scientific study of methods to promote the systematic uptake of evidence-based interventions into practice and policy and hence improve health. It includes the study of influences on professional, patient and organisational behaviour in healthcare, community or population contexts. As a field, Implementation Science is inherently interdisciplinary and embraces a broad range of methodological approaches and research paradigms. Methods Drawing on 10 years of journal contributions, the Editors of Implementation Science will reflect on the current state of implementation science as a field of enquiry. Findings This will include reflection on: the development and evaluation of increasingly complex interventions; the increased focus on the pursuit of ‘good enough evidence’ and with it the emergence of adaptive, hybrid and stepped wedge designs as researchers seek to produce timely and appropriate evidence; and the challenges of adequately studying mechanisms of action, identifying contextual factors that moderate their effects and providing meaningful insights into process of implementation. Implications for D&I Research The panel will reflect on these issues and consider the need for methodological development in areas of increasing interest including the de-implementation of practices of low or no clinical benefit, the need for efficient designs to evaluate implementation in health systems and global public health, and the cost effectiveness of implementation efforts generally.