Implementation and knowledge translation of health promotion programs at scale: "a perspective article"

Health promotion decision-makers must decide which evidence-based health programs will advance the health of a target population regarding a specific health concern. A key component of evidence-based implementation is the complexity of health programs, which means that numerous factors affect their outcomes. However, the level to which the results of a successful health program assessed in a primary context can be attained in a target context is known as transferability. Even when there is evidence of their value or efficacy, the strategies for large-scale public health program implementation received much less attention. Thus, understanding how successful interventions are expanded from research settings into more general policy and practice is made easier with the help of theoretical frameworks. Therefore, the drivers and challenges that can affect the translation and adoption of research evidence in health policy and practice are highlighted in this perspective paper. Effective legislation and practice depend on pertinent and useful evidence, which decision-makers integrate into plans and programs to increase health system coverage and enhance health outcomes. Although numerous health promotion interventions have demonstrated effectiveness, the translation of research evidence into large-scale implementation remains fragmented. This perspective proposes ontology-based knowledge as an innovative approach to strengthen evidence synthesis, knowledge translation, reusable implementation knowledge. Ontologies offer unifying frameworks that can promote more efficient knowledge accumulation by supporting the synthesis of researchers' empirical work in a knowledge base, ultimately facilitating the translation of this evidence into actionable health policies and practices.