Implementation Science to Improve Maternal Health Research and Programs: The Power of Partnerships (New Post on MHTF Blog)

By: Emily Peca, Technical Advisor, Translating Research into Action (TRAction), University Research Co. LLC; Laura Reichenbach, Senior Associate and Deputy Technical Director, The Evidence Project

Despite a large body of evidence describing proven strategies for improving health outcomes, replicating interventions in new settings or scaling them up is a serious challenge. Much of the evidence on health interventions is generated in controlled research settings and requires careful adaptation to reflect the complexity and diversity in different contexts.

By breaking down the walls between the controlled world of traditional research studies and the “messy” realities of programs and policy, Implementation Science (IS) provides an opportunity to close the “know-do” gap. IS strategies can help generate evidence that is relevant and useful to decision-makers, resulting in practical, positive changes on the ground.

Read the full post on the MHTF blog to learn how implementation science contributed to rapid progress in respectful maternity care.