A new Board of Regents-approved University of Iowa Implementation Science Center will help ensure that research findings are translated into real-world practices that benefit people as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

“Unfortunately, on average, it takes 17 years for research to be incorporated into routine practice in hospital or community settings,” said Heather Schacht Reisinger, professor of internal medicine in the Carver College of Medicine, and director of the new center. “The emerging field of implementation science seeks to close that gap.” 

Implementation science explores the organizational and behavioral factors that are important for ensuring that evidence-based practices reach all who could benefit as quickly as possible. The process involves engagement with key partners and communities to identify the best methods for integrating research findings in a way that impacts the overall health of a community. 

“As scientists, we are trained to communicate to other scientists through publications or conferences,” said Reisinger. “Implementation sciences takes this work a step further, ensuring that it doesn’t stay on the shelf. By also studying people, organizations, and systems, we can more effectively and efficiently help them integrate evidence-based practices into what they are already doing.” 

Building on the UI's strengths

Reisinger is a medical anthropologist with a depth of experience in the field of implementation science. She was a co-author of National Cancer Institute’s Qualitative Methods in Implementation Science white paper; is an Associate Editor for Implementation Science, the international flagship journal in the field; and presented at China’s first implementation science conference. 

The new center, which reports to the Office of the Vice President for Research with support from the Provost Office, Carver College of Medicine, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Public Health, and College of Nursing, will serve as convening hub for scientists and practitioners from the health science colleges and beyond. 

“I’m excited to leverage my expertise and work with my colleagues across campus to build our capacity to conduct implementation science and contribute to a growing body of knowledge about what strategies and tools are most effective at moving research into practice,” said Reisinger.  In the coming months, Reisinger will assemble an advisory committee to help shape the center’s structure and strategic plan. The ultimate goal is to create new paradigms in the field and incorporate implementation science into researchers’ existing projects. 

“This work closely aligns with the goals outlined in the University of Iowa Strategic Plan, including to expand the university’s impact on local and regional communities, the state of Iowa, and the world by leveraging transformational research and discovery,” said Lois Geist, interim vice president for research and associate provost for faculty.

Training in the application of evidence-based practices is not new to the UI. The Department of Nursing Services and Patient Care at UI Health Care and the College of Nursing has a 30-year tradition of mentoring and training nurses in evidence-based practice through the Iowa Model. “We have the opportunity to learn from and build on this model within the field of implementation science to create a pathway for practitioners across healthcare,” said Reisinger. 

The UI is the only site in the state with a College of Public Health and a comprehensive basic-to-clinical research enterprise situated within an academic medical center. The new Implementation Science Center will establish and expand partnerships with a number of institutional units, including the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, which works with Professor Reisinger to successfully integrate implementation science into their programs. She serves as the unit’s associate director of engagement, integration, and implementation.

Rural connections

Supporting the integration of evidence-based practice in rural communities is a key area of focus for the center. While implementation science is rapidly expanding, less attention has been paid to the uptake of evidence-based practices and the latest research in rural health settings.

“Iowa is well-situated to contribute to expanding implementation science into rural health due to our geographic location and the rural focus of many of the centers and institutes on campus, such as the Prevention Research Center for Rural Health and Rural Policy Research Institute,” said Reisinger.

The ISC is already working with the P3-funded project “Reducing the Impact of Lung Cancer among Iowans through Prevention and Early Detection,” to explore questions of rural implementation. The project involves faculty from College of Public Health and Carver College of Medicine. “We are reaching out to counties with higher lung cancer rates to work with healthcare systems to support implementation of successful lung cancer screening, as well as increasing access to radon testing and reviewing local tobacco retailer marketing for points of intervention,” said Reisinger. “Our goal is to have local impact in Iowa, while improving our understanding of implementation strategies that are most effective in rural settings.” 

Get involved

Researchers who are interested in implementation science are invited to utilize the center’s available collaboration space and quiet workspaces on the second floor of the Medical Research Facility.  “Although we have a physical location in the MRF, we envision moving around campus to host trainings, lectures, and networking events in an effort to meet researchers where they are,” said Reisinger. 

On October 3 at 2:00 p.m. in the Nursing Clinical Education Center (W417 General Hospital), the center will host its first lecture of the semester, “Building a Big Tent for Implementation Science Together: Reflections and Opportunities” by David Chambers, deputy director for implementation science, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute. After his lecture, Dr. Chambers will spend time with attendees who are interested in implementation science in cancer prevention and treatment to discuss funding opportunities at NCI. Virtual attendance will be available.

An implementation science journal club, where researchers discuss the latest research and their own works-in-progress, will be held on the third Thursday of the month at 1:00 pm in the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (C44-A General Hospital). The journal club is held as a hybrid meeting. Additional details about the center’s activities will be posted at isc.research.uiowa.edu. Join the listserv and monthly newsletter by contacting implementation-science@uiowa.edu.

Photo credit: Acacia Lab, Southern Medical University, Ghangzhou, China