What are the key challenges and opportunities facing the field of implementation science, and how can we use innovative approaches to drive impact in policy and practice? This was the subject of the latest Sax Forum, an initiative that allows the Sax Institute to share knowledge among Institute Members and help understand what we can do better together.
More than 50 people from the Institute’s member organisations joined the forum online on November 12 to hear three thought-provoking presentations.
Dr Liz Develin, Deputy Secretary for Primary and Community Care Department of Health and Ageing, first spoke about the realities of implementing national programs. In her talk, Dr Develin commented on the influence of the budget cycle on decision-making at a national level, as well as the challenges of working with diverse stakeholder groups when developing a new health program.
She noted some key factors for bridging research and policy at a national level: enduring relationships with decision-makers; consideration of scalability beyond the Eastern states, early collaboration between researchers and likely delivery partners, and consideration of capacity and lead time.
Professor Andrew Milat, a public sector leader and academic in implementation science at the University of Sydney, gave an insightful overview of the relationship between scale-up and implantation science, and how we can overcome the current gap between evidence and practice in healthcare.
Professor Milat spoke about the common challenges of scalability, noting that only around half of public health interventions undergo a comprehensive scale-up process, which includes efficacy testing and a real-world trial. He also emphasised the importance of sustainability in evidence-based interventions, explaining the key factors and barriers to sustainability.
Professor Helen Skouteris, a leading researcher in evidence synthesis, qualitative and implementation methods at Monash University, gave a meaningful presentation on her personal and professional journey in implementation science.
She explained the evolution of The Healthy Eating, Active Living Matters (HEALing Matters) program, which she co-led with Dr Rachael Green, as it struggled to make impact without a trauma-informed approach. It’s now an award-winning program that’s considered best practice, a result of listening to the needs of the community, said Professor Skouteris.
Professor Skouteris talked about how this experience shaped her understanding of the importance of embedding equity in programs, and detailed her current work through the Maureen Brunt Professorial Fellowship to tackle this issue.
Learn more about our Sax Forums here.
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PUBLICATION DATE
15 November 2024
