Implementation science: implications for intervention research in hospice and palliative care

This article provides a general introduction to implementation science-the discipline that studies the implementation process of research evidence-in the context of hospice and palliative care. By discussing how implementation science principles and frameworks can inform the design and implementation of intervention research, we aim to highlight how this approach can maximize the likelihood for translation and long-term adoption in clinical practice settings. We present 2 ongoing clinical trials in hospice that incorporate considerations for translation in their design and implementation as case studies for the implications of implementation science. This domain helps us better understand why established programs may lose their effectiveness over time or when transferred to other settings, why well-tested programs may exhibit unintended effects when introduced in new settings, or how an intervention can maximize cost-effectiveness with strategies for effective adoption. All these challenges are of significance to hospice and palliative care, where we seek to provide effective and efficient tools to improve care services. The emergence of this discipline calls for researchers and practitioners to carefully examine how to refine current and design new and innovative strategies to improve quality of care.