Capacity building for implementation research: a methodology for advancing health research and practice

Area of Science:

• Health Systems Research
• Implementation Science
• Capacity Building

Background:

• Implementation research is vital for maximizing evidence-based interventions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• Existing capacity-building efforts often overlook LMIC-specific contextual and health system challenges.
• A simultaneous approach to training health researchers and practitioners is needed to address implementation challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development process of a novel implementation research short course.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of this course for researchers and practitioners.
• To highlight the course's relevance for inter-institutional and inter-regional capacity strengthening.

Main Methods:

• A four-phase curriculum development process was employed, including team formation, content development, and internal/external reviews.
• Five core modules were created: Introduction, Methods, Ethics & Quality Management, Community Engagement, and Dissemination.
• Training evaluations used tools to measure participant reactions and learning outcomes.

Main Results:

• The implementation research curriculum trained 165 participants from 2016-2018, primarily researchers from African countries.
• Participants reported positive reactions, including satisfaction with concept integration.
• Learnings included improved knowledge in identifying implementation research problems and questions.

Conclusions:

• Training both researchers and practitioners concurrently fosters dynamic knowledge exchange and practical understanding of implementation research's multidisciplinary nature.
• This training model effectively builds capacity for participants from diverse LMICs.
• The curriculum serves as a valuable tool for strengthening implementation research capacity globally.