Overview
Understand the significance of implementation science and its relevance in real-world practice, Familiarize with key concepts and terminology commonly used in the field of implementation science., Identify and assess the know-do gap, recognizing where knowledge fails to translate into practice., Evaluate quality indicators and explore contributing factors behind implementation gaps in various settings.
Healthcare Practitioners & Clinicians: Those who implement evidence-based interventions and want to understand the underlying strategies and challenges of effective implementation., Educators & Students in Health and Public Health Fields: Anyone interested in learning about practical approaches to scaling up interventions and reducing the know-do gap., Implementation Scientists & Researchers: Individuals aiming to study or refine the methods that promote the uptake of research into routine practice., Healthcare Administrators & Quality Improvement Professionals: Leaders looking to improve system-level processes and overcome barriers to implementing best practices.
No experience in implementation science is required.
This introductory course, “Diving Into Implementation Science: A Fast-Track Introduction,” offers an engaging exploration into the foundational principles of implementation science. Designed for anyone curious about how research can be transformed into practice, this course delves into the core concepts that underpin the field and explains how these principles work together to bridge the gap between what we know and what is done in real-world settings.
At the heart of the course is the concept of the “know-do gap”—the discrepancy between the best evidence available and its application in everyday practice. Through this lens, participants will discover the importance of fidelity, the degree to which an intervention is delivered as intended, and adaptation, the thoughtful modification of interventions to better suit specific contexts without compromising their effectiveness. The course also introduces feasibility, highlighting how practical constraints and contextual factors influence the implementation of evidence-based practices.
Learners are encouraged to adopt an inquisitive mindset as they explore how these principles are applied in various healthcare settings. Real-world examples, such as the implementation of oral rehydration solutions to combat child mortality, illustrate the dynamic interplay between research and practice. By providing a clear, approachable introduction to the fundamental concepts of implementation science, this course aims to empower participants to think critically about how innovative strategies can be developed and refined to improve health outcomes, setting the stage for further exploration and application in their own professional contexts.
Obidi Ezezika
Dr. Ezezika’s research lies at the nexus of Implementation Science and Global Health. He is the founding director and principal investigator of the Global Health and Innovation Lab at Western University, an implementation science research and education initiative on the systematic uptake of evidence-based interventions into routine practice in global health. Through workshops, consultations, and research, he supports organizations and individuals in scaling up innovations so they can have more impact and meet marginalized communities’ health needs at the local and global levels. He has worked with organizations worldwide to scale up health innovations, including the United Nations Development Program, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Ministry of Science and Technology, Nigeria, and Grand Challenges Canada. He is the inaugural recipient of the Global Educator Award from the University of Toronto, Founder of the African Centre for Innovation and Leadership Development, and the recipient of several international awards, including the D2L Innovation Award in Teaching and Learning and the Next Einstein Award. He has a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in environmental management from Yale University.