Implementation Science masterclasses and workshops

The Health Systems Change team, led by Professor Sue Crengle at the University of Otago, has developed the FrEEI-A* framework and readiness assessment tool to support the implementation of health interventions capable of delivering equal outcomes. The team were keen to share how Implementation Science (IS) can help people working within the health system to plan and implement effective and equitable interventions.

In May 2024, the team organised an online Implementation Science masterclass and follow up kanohi ki te kanohi workshops, led by Australian implementation science expert Associate Professor Nicole Rankin from the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, who has acted as adviser to the team throughout this research project.

Sixty people attended the online masterclasses, consisting of seven self-paced modules interspersed with two live online sessions to consolidate learning. The modules covered an introduction to IS, common models and frameworks used in implementation science, and how these can help to identify facilitators and barriers to implementation, engage with stakeholders, develop strategies, and formulate implementation plans.

Those who completed the masterclass, and who had an implementation project or idea they wanted to develop, were eligible to attend a half-day workshop held at Wellington Hospital or Middlemore Hospital in Auckland.  About half the participants did this.  Working in small groups, they were able to apply what they had learned about IS to a real-world project.

There was strong demand for the masterclasses, which were oversubscribed. Feedback from those who attended both the masterclasses and workshops – a mix of policy makers, service planners, hospital and primary care staff, and researchers – was extremely positive. They saw the potential for applying implementation science in the work of their own teams.

Due to the interest generated, a wait list for future masterclasses has been opened and a WhatsApp group is being established as a forum for sharing information.

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Implementing research evidence is one of the driving motivations for Healthier Lives and several of our research projects have used implementation science to underpin their work: 

Health Systems Change
He Pikinga Waiora
Healthier Lives Implementation Network

* Framework for Effective and Equitable Implementation–Aotearoa (FrEEI-A)