Research has shown that implementation of evidence-based interventions into routine clinical practice is challenging and often shows inconsistent results. On average, it takes 17 years for a new intervention to be implemented in the healthcare system following the emergence of new evidence. In critical areas, this delay contributes to increased costs, reduced quality of care, and unequal access to healthcare services across the population.

The research field provides important insights into the healthcare system’s capacity to effectively implement evidence-based interventions and, correspondingly, to de-implement low-value care. This is essential for achieving the greatest possible health benefits for the population and for ensuring the efficient use of available resources.

The research programme focuses on evaluating the implementation of healthcare reforms, new models of patient care, and the introduction of new technologies in the healthcare system. Implementation science draws on a broad range of quantitative and qualitative research disciplines and is carried out in close collaboration with international partners from leading institutions in the field. These include, among others, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University in Sydney, Australien, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University in Linköping, Sweden, og Wandersman Center in Columbia, South Carolina, USA.

As part of the Danish healthcare reform, Danish Center for Health Services Research has been assigned as the national center for health services research. This assignment includes a central role in evaluating the implementation and outcomes of the reform, in close collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and Health. This major assignment will constitute a significant part of the center’s activities in the coming years, particularly within the implementation science programme.

As part of the research programme, a comprehensive nationwide dataset has been established, drawing on national registries and clinical quality databases. The aim is to map variation and to examine how and why available evidence is, or is not, applied in practice. This includes describing entire patient pathways by incorporating geographical and socioeconomic factors and linking them to detailed information on diagnostics, treatment, disease type and severity, as well as health economic outcomes. The studies are conducted across sectors to examine the performance of the healthcare system as a whole. The topics are explored broadly, as many patient pathways intersect with and influence related interventions and processes.

In addition to the evaluation of the implementation of the Danish healthcare reform, the research programme also includes a range of other ongoing research projects.

Examples of ongoing research projects focusing on implementation science:

• NAIS - North Jutland AI Health
• Review of implementation research within social care, healtcare, and welfare - an update on the Quality Implementation Framework (QIF)
•  Register-based mapping of the use of low-value tests, treatments, and procedures
• Mapping and evaluation of the implementation of day surgery
• Geographical variation in the implementation of medical treatment for heart failure
• Investigation of the national implementation of telemedicine for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.