The Implement to Prevent Symposium marks the official launch of the new National Centre for Implementation Science (NCOIS).
NCOIS is a new NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence that works to improve the translation of evidence-based chronic disease prevention policies and practices in community settings. The Centre has been created to bridge the gap between what has been identified by research as best practice in chronic disease prevention, and what is actually being done in the community.
The Centre will focus on improving the translation of evidence into policies and practices that target diet, physical activity, weight status, tobacco and/or alcohol use in community settings. These include childcares, schools, sports clubs and workplaces.
A range of speakers will present at the Symposium, including the NCOIS Director and stream leaders, to introduce the NCOIS and its four streams.
STREAM 1: FINDING THE GAPS
Research to date has focused on describing the effects of interventions, and not the extent of their translation to practice. In order to improve population health, it is necessary to invest in initiatives that have been shown to be effective, but have not been implemented in day-to-day practice. This stream of work will identify evidence-to-practice gaps in chronic disease prevention in community settings.
STREAM 2: IDENTIFYING THE BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTATION
Before being able to develop an effective implementation strategy, barriers (and facilitators) to implementation must be understood. Studies to identify implementation barriers in community chronic disease prevention are uncommon, not guided by theoretical frameworks and narrow in focus. Stream 2 of the Centre’s work will examine barriers and facilitators to implementation of chronic disease prevention in community settings both in Australia and overseas.
STREAM 3: TESTING IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
The existing evidence base behind implementation strategies is uncertain and new research is published regularly. There is a need for timely synthesis of evidence for the policy makers and practitioners responsible for the implementation of chronic disease prevention interventions in community settings. This stream of work seeks to maintain living reviews of the effectiveness of strategies and identify effective behaviour change techniques to facilitate implementation.
STREAM 4: OPTIMISING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERVENTIONS
Stream 4 will make use of an existing implementation laboratory set up over 10 years ago by the Centre’s Director for the development and testing of chronic disease prevention interventions in community settings. This laboratory will be used to optimise the implementation of dietary guidelines in childcare and activity policy in schools, through a series of randomised control trials. Assessment of effectiveness, cost, mechanism of action and acceptability will be undertaken for each trial to understand the exact point of optimisation.
The symposium will also feature presentations from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, Cancer Council, Heart Foundation and the Central Coast, Hunter New England and Mid North Coast Local Health Districts.
‘We need to make sure research informs policy and practice,’ explains A/Prof Luke Wolfenden, NCOIS Director. ‘And this requires working closely with our translation and academic partners.’
The NCOIS Team welcomes members, partners and investigators to the Implement to Prevent symposium and looks forward to a day of collaboration and idea generation for the implementation of chronic disease prevention strategies within our communities.
References
Luke Wolfenden, John Wiggers, Adrian Bauman, Chris Rissel, Andrew Wilson, Jeremy Grimshaw, Serene Yoong, Julian Elliot, Chris Doran, Hopin Lee. Centre for Research Excellence in Implementation for Community Chronic Disease Prevention. National Health and Medical Research Council Centres for Research Excellence Grant. $2,497,647.70. 2019-2023. Application ID: APP1153479.
