The Economics of Efficiency in Implementation Science

Efficiency is upheld as a cornerstone of high-quality care. Unfortunately, the term efficiency is used in different contexts, creating substantial confusion about what it means. In this talk, I define efficiency as it relates to the delivery of health care. I then review different frameworks for measuring it and common strategies that can be used…

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Development of an integrated implementation determinant framework for shared learning to promote health equity

As evidence-based innovations (EBIs) are translated into clinical and community settings, implementation determinant frameworks can help understand the factors that impede or facilitate implementation outcomes. Use of different frameworks across implementation initiatives can impede shared learning. To develop a framework for shared learning in the DECIPHeR Alliance (decipheralliance.org), we conducted a crosswalk of three determinant…

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Bridging policy research and implementation science

Policy implementation is a key but often-ignored aspect of policy effectiveness. Public policy research typically considers the effects of having versus not having a policy on outcomes, without considering whether and how the policy was implemented – even though the effects of policies on their intended outcome depend upon degree of implementation. Experimental approaches to…

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Prosocial Behaviors as a Marker of Health and Enhancer of Well-Being

Drawing upon a strengths-based, cultural assets perspective, I will present evidence on the growth properties of prosocial behaviors and assert the need to incorporate prosocial behaviors as a marker of health and well being. The presentation will focus on risk and protective correlates and consequences of prosocial behaviors in U.S. Latine youth. Implications for prevention…

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A cost-effectiveness analysis of telemedicine and mobile health interventions to support continuing care

This presentation reports the cost-effectiveness analysis from a fully powered randomized clinical trial that featured a head-to-head comparison between telemedicine and digital health interventions for providing continuing care for patients with alcohol use disorder. A telemedicine intervention (telephone monitoring and counseling: TMC) and a mobile health intervention (Alcohol Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System: A-CHESS) were…

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Swimming Downstream to Catch Upstream Prevention

FAIR (Families Actively Improving Relationships) is an evidence-based practice for parents referred to the child welfare system. Treatment addresses substance use (primarily opioids and/or methamphetamine), mental health, parenting, and ancillary needs. FAIR is community-based and relies on collaboration with service and community partners. As part of the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative,…

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The Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach for Mental Health Systems Optimization in Mozambique (SAIA-MH)

Significant investments are being made to close the mental health (MH) treatment gap, which often exceeds 90% in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, limited attention has been paid to patient quality of care in nascent and evolving LMIC MH systems. In system assessments across sub-Saharan Africa, MH loss-to-follow-up often exceeds 50% and sub-optimal…

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Charting an Interdisciplinary Course to Advance Policy D&I and Reduce the Research to Policy Gap

The ‘research to policy gap’ describes the failure to translate research findings into real-world, evidence-informed policies. This gap is dangerous to health systems and population health, but dissemination and implementation science (D&I) is poised to address this pervasive problem by designing effective strategies that promote evidence-informed policy and policy implementation success. To be most efficient…

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Does evidence-based practice have any meaning for implementation science?

Full realization of the societal benefits of our work in implementation science requires high levels of successful sustainment (maintenance) and scale-up/spread of our implementation strategies and the effective practices we strive to implement. This presentation offers a series of questions we should ask, and recommendations for actions we can – and should – take, to…

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