Fundamentals of Implementation Science

100% of learners said they would recommend this course to others (LSTM evaluation, 2025) 

Course content 

This course is delivered fully online in asynchronus mode.

You will be introduced to implementation science as a discipline that generates evidence about closing the “know-do” gap and what is needed to support the implementation of evidence-based practices in the real world by dispelling some common misconceptions.

The course will make clear the distinction between what is implemented (implementation strategies versus evidence-based practices), what constitutes outcomes in implementation research and how we make sense of influential contextual factors.

The course will highlight commonly used theories, models and frameworks in implementation science such as CFIR, RE-AIM, EPIS, COM-B, Normalisation Process Theory and PARIHS, and will introduce case studies. You will cover the robust design of implementation research and explore how different methodologies are used, including hybrid effectiveness-implementation trials. Finally, you will consider how implementation research is foundational to the scale-up and scale-out of evidence-based practices.

An electronic Certificate of Completion will be issued upon successful engagement with at least 75% of course content.

Teaching approaches

• Lectures introducing the concepts and principles
• Interactive activities to reinforce learning
• Case studies
• Post session self-study and practice
• Delivered through fully online platforms that are designed to be accessible for different types of learners

Timetable 

Week 1

Defining implementation science, implementation research, and core related concepts.

Timing: up to 3 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities

Week 2

Implementation outcomes (e.g. acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, implementation cost, penetration, and sustainability) and how these are measured.

Timing: up to 2 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities

Week 3

Implementation strategies

Timing: up to 2 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities

Studying context in implementation research

Timing: up to 3 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities

Week 4 

Theories, models, and frameworks

Timing: up to 4 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities

Week 5 

Designing and carrying out implementation research

Timing: up to 5 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities

Week 6

Scalability research and implementation science

Timing: up to 3 hours, including a pre-recorded lecture, readings and activities

Week 7 and Week 8 

Personal study time

Tutor Biography

Dr Tancred has almost 15 years of experience carrying out implementation research. Much of her research has been embedded within large trials of complex health systems strengthening interventions. Within the context of studies trying to improve evidence-based practice and patient-centred care, she has used and studied quality improvement and participatory interventions extensively, and has utilised evaluation approaches like process evaluation, theory of change-based evaluation, and realist evaluation.