Implementation Science: A Critical Tool for Research Utilization and Policy Evaluation

Abstract

Implementation science is “the scientific study of methods to promote the systematic uptake of research findings and other evidence-based practices into routine practice, and, hence, to improve the quality and effectiveness of health services” (Eccles & Mittman, 2006, p. 1, para 2). We are pleased to present this themed issue of Public Policy & Aging Report, in which the articles discuss how implementation science can and has informed the implementation of aging-related evidence-based practices (EBPs) in a variety of settings. Additionally, an article contributed by Lisa Onken with the National Institute on Aging (NIA) discusses how it is currently promoting and conceptualizing implementation science, and another highlights how implementation science can be used to evaluate and improve policy dissemination and implementation. A number of this issue’s contributors discuss their experiences implementing aging-related EBPs in different health-care settings, including nursing homes, hospitals, and the Veterans Administration (VA) health system. Abbott, Douglas, and Van Haitsma (2022) elucidate the unique characteristics and challenges of the nursing home setting, including the inequities present in nursing homes due, in part, to the vulnerable and marginalized patient and worker populations in nursing homes, such as racial and ethnic minorities and immigrants. They argue that more attention must be paid to implementing EBPs in nursing homes to address these inequities, and that policies such as those that create mechanisms for reimbursement and increase reimbursement levels for existing mechanisms could help close this gap. Callahan, a clinician herself, highlights the ongoing implementation science efforts in clinical settings such as the NIA’s Imbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory and the Geriatric Emergency Care Applied Research (GEAR) Network (Callahan, 2022). She urges more age-friendly policies to ensure these ongoing efforts are successful, such as policies that prioritize function and function-focused outcomes, as well as policies that prioritize reimbursement for quality and value. Sullivan and Hughes (2022) are both implementation scientists working in the VA Health System, and they outline a number of ways the VA has been a leader in the implementation of aging-related EBPs across a number of settings. They note that while there are unique aspects to the VA, there are also many similarities to other large, integrated health systems, and therefore, there are many lessons that can be learned from the VA about implementation strategies and policies that support implementation in health systems. Last, Juckett, Bunck, and Thomas (2022) discuss three service amendments to the Older Americans Act 2020 Reauthorization and their barriers to implementation. They also provide examples of implementation strategies that could optimize the delivery of evidence-based services and programs, if supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL). Moving from how EBPs can inform policy development, Derzon and Menne (2022) discuss how implementation science can be used to evaluate and improve policy implementation in terms of uptake and spread, as well as improving programmatic outcomes. They provide several examples of national aging services policies that have a significant impact on older adults, and discuss ways in which implementation science methods can be applied to support the policies. Public Policy & Aging Report cite as: Public Policy & Aging Report, 2022, Vol. 32, No. 1, 4–5 https://doi.org/10.1093/ppar/prab035