Building Sustainable Professional Development Programs: Applying Strategies From Implementation Science to Translate...

Area of Science:

• Educational leadership
• Implementation science
• Health professions education

Background:

• Establishing multisite and national professional development (PD) programs for educators presents significant challenges.
• Implementation science (IS) frameworks, typically used in healthcare, offer a structured approach to translating evidence-based interventions into practice.
• Applying IS to educational program development can enhance the success and sustainability of interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To illustrate the value of an IS framework in developing and implementing a national professional development program.
• To demonstrate how IS principles can guide the translation of evidence-based educational methods into effective programs.
• To showcase the successful application of IS in managing the implementation of the Educational Scholars Program (ESP).

Main Methods:

• The study utilized four adaptable elements of IS: replication of an evidence-based model, systematic implementation stages, management via implementation drivers, and measurement of fidelity and sustainability.
• The Educational Scholars Program (ESP) implementation followed five established PD principles and methods across four IS stages over 10 years: Exploration, Installation, Initial Implementation, and Full Implementation.
• IS implementation drivers were employed to manage relationships, build faculty/scholar competence, and address leadership challenges.

Main Results:

• The ESP demonstrated fidelity to evidence-based structures and methods throughout its 10-year implementation.
• Key outcomes included enhanced academic productivity, strong networking among scholars, and career advancement.
• Three sustainability efforts were identified that contributed to the program's long-term success and impact.

Conclusions:

• Applying IS frameworks can help other professional development programs translate evidence-based methods into interventions with greater impact.
• Systematic developmental stages and practical implementation drivers, guided by IS, can create successful and sustainable educational interventions.
• This approach promotes the academic vitality of health professions educators by ensuring program effectiveness and longevity.