The health of a mother and newborn child before and after birth relies on a trusted system of practices rooted in evidence-based science.
But with so much new information for medical professionals to digest, it demands constant vigilance and improvement, said , a professor in the in USF鈥檚 (COPH). She spoke recently at the American Academy of Health Behavior Conference in San Diego, under the theme 鈥淏ridging the Gap: Advancing Health Behavior Research through Implementation Science.鈥�
Her topic was called 鈥淟everaging Implementation Science to Advance Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Research and Practice,鈥� and she addressed behavior theories, models and frameworks, and how implementation science can guide change across the health care system.
We have a lot of information and data out there on how best to keep MCH populations healthy and thriving. However, for a variety of reasons, what we know works is not always implemented into our policies and programs. Implementation science studies how best to implement evidence-based interventions to improve health outcomes.
Dr. Cheryl Vamos
Implementation science is a field that studies how evidence-based practices and interventions are adopted and integrated into routine health care and public health settings. Its goal is to close the gap between current knowledge and practice by identifying and addressing barriers to proven interventions.
In other words, it promotes the best possible understanding of work based on evidence and blends that into day-to-day practice, in everything from giving birth to a baby to promoting good oral health. The goal: improving the overall quality of health care.
鈥淔or example, we know that vaccinations are one of the top achievements in advancing public health, but we still have low vaccine uptake in some populations,鈥欌�� Vamos said. 鈥淚n another example, we know that inclusive, comprehensive and medically accurate sexual health education can help keep young people safe and healthy. But assuring that all youth receive sexual health education in schools remains an ongoing challenge.鈥欌��
In her presentation, Vamos made a point about the importance of implementation science and oral health, particularly among MCH populations, which has been identified 鈥渁s a silent epidemic due to the prevalence of adverse outcomes and the missed opportunities.鈥欌��
She added that professional health care associations have had inter-professional guidelines for years 鈥� but yet there is still an implementation gap in prenatal providers assessing, advising and referring those who are pregnant on oral health issues.
Vamos shared three takeaways in her presentation:
- Implementation science can 鈭� and should 鈭� be used during the design, implementation and evaluation of evidence-based practices.
- Health professionals need to think beyond the intervention and also study the implementation 鈥渃ontext鈥� of their work.
- Implementation science has value in guiding health behavior change that affect patients, providers 鈭� and the entire health care system.
Implementation science is the foundation of evidence-based policies and interventions, including public health programs, vaccines, communities with fluoridated water, screenings and referral to mental health services. It helps experts study how best to implement what works and may not work, and to 鈥渄e-implement鈥� programs and policies that could be harmful to people.
鈥淚t鈥檚 critical because what we know is never static,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淪cience continues to evolve, we make new discoveries, we find more efficient and effective ways to promote health and prevent disease. Also, the settings and context of how and where we implement evidence-based interventions are really important, and these settings can also change. So, implementation science also helps to adapt interventions, so they work in the real world.鈥欌��
Khaila Prather, a PhD student in at COPH, said the courses she takes that include implementation science are essential to her understanding of evidence-based health care.
"Implementation science helps close the gap between evidence and action by observing real-world challenges,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚t allows us to adapt, tailor and refine interventions in real time to meet the needs of both participants and providers while maintaining fidelity to what works.鈥欌��