Implementation science
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Implementation science
Implementation science is the study of methods and strategies to promote the uptake of interventions that have proven effective into routine practice, with the aim of improving health.
At ARC South London this research is led by staff based in the Centre for Mental Health Policy and Evaluation at King’s College London.
This research team investigates how best to help ‘implement’ evidence-based practice and clinical research within health services in south London, nationally and internationally.
Researchers investigate the role of health and social care professionals, managers, commissioners of services and policymakers, as well as organisational structures and processes, to understand why health and social care services don’t always offer the safest, most effective treatments and ways of working — and which circumstances make it easy for research results to be adopted.
The need for implementation science research
Evidence-based and cost-effective interventions consistently fail to be implemented into routine health and social care practice and policy. Even when such interventions are implemented, the process is often challenging, unpredictable and typically slow.
Over the past few years, increased and focused efforts to close the evidence-to-practice gap — the time it takes for evidence to be put into practice — have resulted in further recognition of the importance of implementation science. Despite this, designing high-quality implementation research remains a challenge for health and social care researchers without specialist training in this area.
Researchers need tools to help them design high-quality implementation research in order to facilitate the successful implementation and evaluation of evidence-based interventions.
Our research aims
To generate tools that can be used by health and social care stakeholders — including researchers, managers and commissioners — to plan and evaluate implementation of complex health and social care programmes and interventions.
How our work addresses multimorbidities and inequalities
As a cross-cutting theme, the implementation science team supports the applied health research of health and social care themes addressing the challenges of people living with multimorbidities and inequalities.
Theme deliverables include:
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A validated ImpRes tool for designing studies and evaluations that account for implementation effectiveness
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An online repository of validated and appraised scales for assessment of implementing effectiveness
How we involve patients, service users, carers and the public
Before submission of the ARC bid, members of the Patient, Public and Involvement (PPI) advisory panel group were consulted — they reviewed and supported the focus on the two proposed methodological development research projects.
The team continues to engage and involve patients, service users, carers and the public throughout the research cycle of both projects. Workshops are also delivered to enable PPI members to become implementation research co-authors and investigators.
Our collaborators
National collaborators
Other ARCs (NW London, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and Humber) • Dr Zarnie Khadjesari, University of East Anglia • Dr Deborah Ghate, UK Implementation Society
International collaborators
Professor Brian Mittman, Kaiser Permanente Research and Evaluation Department, USA
Developing the fields of implementation and improvement sciences
Implementation science is a relatively new scientific discipline within health and social care but its importance has grown rapidly in recent years. Researchers in this theme work closely with the training and development leads to increase the capacity for implementation science training and expertise.
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Lead the annual Implementation Science Masterclass
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Lead the international Implementation Science Research Conference
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Provide training and advice to researchers, non-researchers and health professionals in implementation science methods and strategies to improve healthcare
How we are taking this work forward
The team continues to support ARC research themes to design high-quality implementation research, prioritising projects with a strong focus on implementation. Activities include:
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Implementation research design clinics for research teams
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An implementation study proposal review service
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Promoting awareness and uptake of implementation science research resources and tools to support high-quality implementation research across health and care research
ImpResPAC
ImpResPAC (Implementation Research Proposal Appraisal Criteria) is a comprehensive quantitative tool which can be used to appraise the quality of implementation research proposals in healthcare. It was created by researchers at NIHR ARC South London and informed by a large international Expert Advisory Panel.
ImpResPAC can be used by reviewers, researchers and practitioners submitting and reviewing implementation research proposals, allowing the strengths and weaknesses of proposals to be readily identified.
SC-ImpRes
The SC-ImpRes (Social Care Implementation Research) guide is a resource that provides a step-by-step approach to designing and conducting implementation research in social care.
The guide contains eight sections, each of which introduces key terms and concepts relevant to implementation research in social care and includes reflective questions and statements to consider when designing and conducting implementation research.
King’s Improvement Science
Improvement scientists investigate the best and most appropriate methods that can be used to improve the quality and safety of health services. Researchers working in this relatively new academic field investigate factors that can encourage or impede improvement.
King’s Improvement Science (KIS) is a King’s Health Partners-supported research programme established in 2013, aimed at enhancing how quality improvement activity is carried out across major south London health care providers. KIS comprises an interdisciplinary team of researchers and quality improvement experts.
In 2018 they launched Resources about Improvement and Implementation — which can be used to design scientific or practical improvement projects. The KIS programme is aligned to the NIHR ARC South London as co-funded research infrastructure.
Meet the implementation science research leads
 Professor Claire Henderson Head of the Centre for Mental Health Policy and Evaluation; professor of public mental health, KCL |
Related content
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Validation of the ‘Implementation Science Research Development’ tool (ImpRes) - →
About our implementation science research area - →
Free online resource launches to help researchers and practitioners measure implementation outcomes - →
The SC-ImpRes (Social Care Implementation Research) guide - →
King’s Improvement Science
Original source: arc-sl.nihr.ac.uk — NIHR ARC South London legacy content archived May 2026.