Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Implementation Science and Practice-Oriented Research: Convergence and Complementarity

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Implementation science is the scientific study of methods to promote the uptake of research findings and other evidence-based practices in routine care, with the goal of improving the quality and effectiveness of health services (Bauer et al., 2015). In addition to this common goal, practice-oriented psychotherapy research (and researchers) and implementation science (and scientists) share a common focus on the people and the places where treatment happens. Thus, there exists strong potential for combining these two approaches. In this article, we provide a primer on implementation science for psychotherapy researchers and highlight important areas and examples of convergence and complementarity between implementation science and practice-oriented psychotherapy research. Specifically, we (a) define and describe the core features of implementation science; (b) discuss similarities and areas of complementarity between implementation science and practice-oriented psychotherapy research; (c) discuss a case example that exemplifies the integration of implementation science and practice-oriented research; and (d) propose directions for future research and collaborations that leverage both implementation science and practice-oriented research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aarons, G. A., Hurlburt, M., & Horwitz, S. M. (2011). Advancing a conceptual model of evidence-based practice implementation in public service sectors.Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research,38,4–23.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-010-0327-7.

  • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2019). AboutLearningHealthSystems.https://www.ahrq.gov/learning-health-systems/about.html.

  • Ashcraft, L. E., Moon, D. J., Merlin, J. S., Eack, S. M., & Rogal, S. S. (2022). Quantifying implementation strategy and dissemination channel preferences and experiences for pain management in primary care: A novel implementer-reported outcome.Implementation Science Communications,3(1),128.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-022-00378-z.

  • Balas, E. A., & Boren, S. A. (2000). Managing clinical knowledge for health care improvement.Yearbook of Medical Informatics,9(01),65–70.https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1637943.

  • Bauer, M. S., Damschroder, L., Hagedorn, H., Smith, J., & Kilbourne, A. M. (2015). An introduction to implementation science for the non-specialist.BMC Psychology, 3(1):32.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-015-0089-9.

  • Becker-Haimes, E. M., Marcus, S. C., Klein, M. R., Schoenwald, S. K., Fugo, P. B., McLeod, B. D., Dorsey, S., Williams, N. J., Mandell, D. S., & Beidas, R. S. (2022). A randomized trial to identify accurate measurement methods for adherence to cognitive-behavioral therapy.Behavior Therapy, 53(6),1191–1204.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2022.06.001.

  • Beidas, R. S., & Kendall, P. C. (2010). Training therapists in evidence-based practice: A critical review of studies from a systems-contextual perspective.Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 17(1),1–30.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2850.2009.01187.x.

  • Beidas, R. S., & Stirman, S. W. (2020). Realizing the promise of learning organizations to transform mental health care: Telepsychiatry care as an exemplar.Psychiatric Services,72(1),86–88.https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202000257.

  • Bickman, L., Douglas, S. R., De Andrade, A. R. V., Tomlinson, M., Gleacher, A., Olin, S., & Hoagwood, K. (2016). Implementing a measurement feedback system: A tale of two sites.Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 43,410–425.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-015-0647-8.

  • Bodison, S. C., Sankaré, I., Anaya, H., Booker-Vaughns, J., Miller, A., Williams, P., Norris, K., & the Community Engagement Workgroup. (2015). Engaging the community in the dissemination, implementation, and improvement of health-related research.Clinical and Translational Science, 8(6),814–819.https://doi.org/10.1111/cts.12342.

  • Boswell, J. F. (2019). Monitoring processes and outcomes in routine clinical practice: A promising approach to plugging the holes of the practice-based evidence colander.Psychotherapy Research, 30(7),829–842.https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2019.1686192.

  • Boswell, J. F., & Schwartzman, C. (in press). What are the pathways and barriers to implementing evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence in psychotherapy? In F.Leong, M. J. Constantino, & C. Eubanks (Eds.), APA Handbook of Psychotherapy (pp.xxx-xxx).American Psychological Association.

  • Boswell, J. F., Kraus, D. R., Miller, S. D., & Lambert, M. J. (2015). Implementing routine outcome monitoring in clinical practice: Benefits, challenges, and solutions.Psychotherapy Research, 25(1),6–19.https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2013.817696.

  • Boswell, J. F., Constantino, M. J., Coyne, A. E., & Kraus, D. R. (2021a). For whom does a match matter most? Patient-level moderators of evidence-based patient-therapist matching. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 90(1), 61–74. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000644.

  • Boswell, J. F., Constantino, M. J., Oswald, J. M., Bugatti, M., Coyne, A., Goodwin, B., & Morrison, N. (2021b). Amulti-methodstudyofmentalhealthcarepatients’attitudestowardclinician-levelperformanceinformation.Psychiatric Services, 72(4),452–456.https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202000366.

  • Brookman-Frazee, L., Stadnick, N. A., Lind, T., Roesch, S., Terrones, L., Barnett, M. L., Regan, J., Kennedy, C. A., Garland, A. F., & Lau, A. S. (2021). Therapist-observer concordance in ratings of EBP strategy delivery: Challenges and targeted directions in pursuing pragmatic measurement in children’s mental health services.Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research,48,155–170.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-020-01054-x.

  • Cao, J., Tanana, M., Imel, Z. E., Poitras, E., Atkins, D. C., & Srikumar, V. (2019). Observingdialogueintherapy:Categorizingandforecastingbehavioralcodes.https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1907.00326.

  • Castonguay, L. G., Barkham, M., Lutz, W., & McAleavey, A. (2013). Practice-oriented research.InM. J. Lambert’s (Ed.), Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change(6thed.,pp.85–133).John Wiley & Sons.

  • Castonguay, L. G., Barkham, M., Youn, S., & Page, A. C. (2021). Practice-basedevidence–Findingsfromroutineclinicalsettings.InM.Barkham,W.Lutz,&L.G.Castonguay(Eds.),Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change(50thAnniversaryEdition;pp.191–222).JohnWiley&Sons.

  • Chambers, D., Glasgow, R., & Stange, K. (2013). The dynamic sustainability framework: Addressing the paradox of sustainment amid ongoing change.Implementation Science, 8,117.https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-8-117.

  • Chambers, D. A., Feero, W. G., & Khoury, M. J. (2016). Convergence of implementation science, precision medicine, and the learning health care system: A new model for biomedical research.JAMA, 315(18),1941–1942.https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.3867.

  • Concannon, T. W., Meissner, P., Grunbaum, J. A., McElwee, N., Guise, J. M., Santa, J., Conway, P. H., Daudelin, D., Morrato, E. H., & Leslie, L. K. (2012). A new taxonomy for stakeholder engagement in patient-centered outcomes research. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 27(8), 985–991. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-012-2037-1.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Connors, E. H., Douglas, S., Jensen-Doss, A., Landes, S. J., Lewis, C. C., McLeod, B. D., Stanick, C., & Lyon, A. R. (2021). What gets measured gets done: How mental health agencies can leverage measurement-based care for better patient care, clinician supports, and organizational goals.Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 48(2),250–265.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-020-01063-w.

  • Constantino, M. J., Boswell, J. F., Coyne, A. E., Swales, T. P., & Kraus, D. R. (2021). Enhancing mental health care by matching patients to providers empirically derived strengths: A randomized clinical trial.JAMA Psychiatry, 78(9), 960–969. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.1221.

  • Creed, T. A., Wolk, C. B., Feinberg, B., Evans, A. C., & Beck, A. T. (2016). Beyond the label: Relationship between community therapists’ self-report of a cognitive behavioral therapy orientation and observed skills.Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research,43,36–43.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-014-0618-5.

  • Creed, T. A., Salama, L., Slevin, R., Tanana, M., Imel, Z., Narayanan, S., & Atkins, D. C. (2022). Enhancing the quality of cognitive behavioral therapy in community mental health through artificial intelligence generated fidelity feedback (Project AFFECT): A study protocol.BMC health services research, 22(1),1177.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08519-9.

  • Curran, G. M. (2020). Implementation science made too simple: A teaching tool.Implementation Science Communications, 1(1),1–3.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-020-00001-z.

  • Curran, G., Bauer, M. S., Stetler, C. B., & Mittman, B. S. (2012). Effectiveness-implementation hybrid designs:Combining elements of clinical effectiveness and implementation.

  • Damschroder, L. J., Aron, D. C., Keith, R. E., Kirsh, S. R., Alexander, J. A., & Lowery, J. C. (2009). Fostering implementation of health services research findings into practice: A consolidated framework for advancing implementation science.Implementation Science, 4(1),1–15.https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-4-50.

  • Damschroder, L. J., Reardon, C. M., Widerquist, O.,M.A.,&, & Lowery, J. (2022). Conceptualizing outcomes for use with the Consolidated Framework for implementation research (CFIR): The CFIR Outcomes Addendum.Implementation Science, 17(1),7.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-021-01181-5.

  • Decker,S. E.,Carroll,K. M.,Nich,C.,Canning-Ball,M.,&Martino,S.(2013).Correspondence of motivational interviewing adherence and competence ratings in real and role-played client sessions.Psychological Assessment,25(1),306–312.https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030815.

  • Douglas, S. D., Button, S., & Casey, S. E. (2016). Implementing for sustainability: Promoting use of a measurement feedback system for innovation and quality improvement. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 43(3), 286–291. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-014-0607-8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Douglas, S., Page, A., Moltu, C., Kyron, M., & Satterthwaite, T. (This issue). The connections matter: Contributions of programe valuation to practice-oriented research.

  • Eccles,M.P.,&Mittman,B.S.(2006).Welcome to implementation science.Implementation Science,1:1.https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-1-1.

  • Edmondson, A. C. (2018). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. John Wiley & Sons.

  • Egeter,J.,Hüfner,K.,Sztankay,M.,Holzner,B.,&Sperner-Unterweger,B.(2018).Implementation of an electronic routine outcome monitoring at an inpatient unit for psychosomatic medicine.Journal of Psychosomatic Research,105,64–71.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2017.12.009.

  • Garvin,D. A.(1993,July1).Buildingalearningorganization.HarvardBusinessReview.https://hbr.org/1993/07/building-a-learning-organization.

  • Glasgow,R. E.,Battaglia,C.,McCreight,M.,Ayele,R. A.,&Rabin,B. A.(2020).Making Implementation Science More Rapid: Use of the RE-AIM Framework for Mid-Course Adaptations Across Five Health Services Research Projects in the Veterans Health Administration.Frontiers in Public Health,8,194.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00194.

  • Greenhalgh, T., Robert, G., Macfarlane, F., Bate, P., & Kyriakidou, O. (2004). Diffusion of innovations in service organizations: Systematic review and recommendations.The Milbank Quarterly,82(4),581–629.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0887-378X.2004.00325.x.

  • Gumport, N. B., Stephanie, H. Y., Mullin, A. C., Mirzadegan, I. A., & Harvey, A. G. (2020). The validation of a provider-reported fidelity measure for the transdiagnostic sleep and circadian intervention in a community mental health setting.Behavior Therapy, 51(5),800–813.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2019.11.006.

  • Hailemariam,M.,Bustos,T.,Montgomery,B.,Barajas,R.,Evans,L. B.,&Drahota,A.(2019).Evidence-based intervention sustainability strategies: A systematic review.Implementation Science,14(1),57.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-019-0910–6.

  • Hamilton, A. B., & Finley, E. P. (2019). Qualitative methods in implementation research: An introduction.Psychiatry Research,280,112516.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112516.

  • Hermansen, A., Regier, D. A., & Pollard, S. (2022). Developing data sharing models for health research with real-world data: A scoping review of patient and public preferences.Journal of Medical Systems, 46(12),86.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-022-01875-3.

  • Hogue, A., Dauber, S., Lichvar, E., Bobek, M., & Henderson, C. E. (2015). Validity of therapist self-report ratings of fidelity to evidence-based practices for adolescent behavior problems: Correspondence between therapists and observers.Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42,229–243.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-014-0548-2.

  • Hutchings, E., Loomes, M., Butow, P., & Boyle, F. M. (2020). A systematic literature review of health consumer attitudes towards secondary use and sharing of health administrative and clinical trial data: A focus on privacy, trust, and transparency.Systematic Reviews, 9(1),https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-020-01481-9.

  • Hutchings, E., Loomes, M., Butow, P., & Boyle, F. M. (2021). A systematic literature review of attitudes towards secondary use and sharing of health administrative and clinical trial data: A focus on consent.Systematic Reviews, 10(1).https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-021-01663-z.

  • Imel, Z. E., Sheng, E., Baldwin, S. A., & Atkins, D. C. (2015). Removing very low-performing therapists: A simulation of performance-based retention in psychotherapy.Psychotherapy, 52(3),329–336.https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000023.

  • Jensen-Doss,A.,Douglas,S.,Phillips,D. A.,Gencdur,O.,Zalman,A.,&Gomez,N. E.(2020).Measurement-based care as a practice improvement tool: Clinical and organizational applications in youth mental health.Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health,5(3),233–250.https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2020.1784062.

  • Kelley, S. D., Bickman, L., & Norwood, E. (2010). Evidence-based treatments and common factors in youth psychotherapy.InB. L. Duncan, S. D. Miller, B. E. Wampold, & M. A. Hubble (Eds.), The heart and soul of change: Delivering what works in therapy(pp.325–355).American Psychological Association.https://doi.org/10.1037/12075-011.

  • Kraus, D. R., Bentley, J. H., Alexander, P. C., Boswell, J. F., Constantino, M. J., Baxter, E. E., & Castonguay, L. G. (2016). Predicting therapist effectiveness from their own practice-based evidence.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,84(6),473–483.https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000083.

  • Lau, A., Barnett, M., Stadnick, N., Saifan, D., Regan, J., Wiltsey Stirman, S., Roesch, S., & Brookman-Frazee, L. (2017). Therapist report of adaptations to delivery of evidence-based practices within a system-driven reform of publicly funded children’s mental health services.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 85(7),664–675.https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000215.

  • Lewis, C. C., Scott, K., Marti, C. N., Marriott, B. R., Kroenke, K., Putz, J. W., Mendel, P., & Rutkowski (2015). Implementing measurement-based care (iMBC) for depression in community mental health: A dynamic cluster randomized trial study protocol.Implementation Science, 10,127.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0313-2.

  • Lewis, C. C., Boyd, M. R., Walsh-Bailey, C., Lyon, A. R., Beidas, R., Mittman, B., Aarons, G. A., Weiner, B. J., & Chambers, D. A. (2020). A systematic review of empirical studies examining mechanisms of implementation in health.Implementation Science, 15(1),21.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-020-00983-3.

  • Lewis, C. C., Powell, B. J., Brewer, S. K., Nguyen, A. M., Schriger, S. H., Vejnoska, S. F., & Mittman, B. (2021). Advancing mechanisms of implementation to accelerate sustainable evidence-based practice integration: Protocol for generating a research agenda.BMJ Open, 11(10),e053474.https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053474.

  • Marques, L., Valentine, S. E., Kaysen, D., Mackintosh, M. A., De Silva, D., Ahles, L. E., Youn, E. M., Shtasel, S., Simon, D. L.,N.M.,&, & Stirman, S. W. (2019). Provider fidelity and modifications to cognitive processing therapy in a diverse community health clinic: Associations with clinical change.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,87(4),357–362.https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000384.

  • McCreight,M. S.,Rabin,B. A.,Glasgow,R. E.,Ayele,R. A.,Leonard,C. A.,Gilmartin,H. M.,Frank,J. W.,Hess,P. L.,Burke,R. E.,&Battaglia,C. T.(2019).Using the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) to qualitatively assess multilevel contextual factors to help plan, implement, evaluate, and disseminate health services programs.Translational Behavioral Medicine,9(6),1002–1011.https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibz085.

  • McHugh,R. K.,&Barlow,D. H.(Eds.).(2012).Dissemination and implementation of evidence-based psychological interventions.Oxford University Press.

  • McLeod, B. D., Porter, N., Hogue, A., Becker-Haimes, E. M., & Jensen-Doss, A. (2023). What is the status of multi-informant treatment fidelity research?Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology,52(1),74–94.https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2022.2151713.

  • Mendel, P., Meredith, L. S., Schoenbaum, M., Sherbourne, C. D., & Wells, K. B. (2008). Interventions in organizational and community context: A framework for building evidence on dissemination and implementation in health services research.Administration Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 35,21–37.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-007-0144-9.

  • Minkler, M., & Wallerstein, N. (Eds.). (2003). Community based participatory research in health.Jossey-Bass.

  • Morris, Z. S., Wooding, S., & Grant, J. (2011). The answer is 17 years, what is the question: Understanding time lags in translational research.Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 104(12),510–520.https://doi.org/10.1258/jrsm.2011.110180.

  • National Institutes of Health (2002). NIHRoadmapforMedicalResearch.http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/overview.asp.AccessedMarch3,2023.

  • Nilsen, P. (2015). Making sense of implementation theories, models and frameworks.Implementation Science, 10:53.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0242-0.

  • Orengo-Aguayo, R., Stewart, R. W., Villalobos, B. T., Rodriguez, H., Dueweke, J., de Arellano, A. R.,M.A.,&, & Young, J. (2020). Listen, don’t tell: Partnership and adaptation to implement trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy in low-resourced settings.American Psychologist, 75(8),1158–1174.https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000691.

  • Palinkas, L. A., Horwitz, S. M., Chamberlain, P., Hurlburt, M., & Landsverk, J. (2011). Mixed method designs in mental health services research.Psychiatric Services, 62(3):255–263.https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.62.3.pss6203_0255.

  • Paniagua-Avila,A.,Shelton,R. C.,Guzman,A. L.,Gutierrez,L.,Galdamez,D. H.,Ramirez,J. M.,Rodriguez,J.,Irazola,V.,Ramirez-Zea,M.,&Fort,M. P.(2023).Assessing the implementation of a multi-component hypertension program in a Guatemalan under-resourced dynamic context: An application of the RE-AIM/PRISM extension for sustainability and health equity. Research Square, rs.3.rs–2362741.https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs–2362741/v1.

  • Pellecchia,M.,Arnold,K.T.,Tomczuk,L.,&Beidas,R.S.(2022).Engaging stakeholders.InB.J.Weiner,K.Sherr,&C.C.Lewis(Eds.),Practical implementation science: Moving evidence into action(pp.133–154).Springer Publishing.

  • Powell,B. J.,Waltz,T. J.,Chinman,M. J.,Damschroder,L. J.,Smith,J. L.,Matthieu,M. M.,Proctor,E. K.,&Kirchner,J. E.(2015). A refined compilation of implementation strategies: Results from the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) project.Implementation Science,10(1),21.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0209–1.

  • Proctor, E. K., Landsverk, J., Aarons, G., Chambers, D., Glisson, C., & Mittman, B. (2009). Implementation research in mental health services: An emerging science with conceptual, methodological, and training challenges.Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research,36,24–34.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-008-0197-4.

  • Proctor, E., Silmere, H., Raghavan, R., Hovmand, P., Aarons, G., Bunger, A., Griffey, R., & Hensley, M. (2011). Outcomes for implementation research: Conceptual distinctions, measurement challenges, and research agenda.Administration Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 38,65–76.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-010-0319-7.

  • Racine, D. P. (2006). Reliable effectiveness: A theory on sustaining and replicating worthwhile innovations.Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research,33(3),356–387.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-006-0047-1.

  • Ramanadhan, S., Revette, A. C., Lee, R. M., & Aveling, E. L. (2021). Pragmatic approaches to analyzing qualitative data for implementation science: An introduction.Implementation Science Communications,2(1),1–10.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-021-00174-1.

  • research to enhance public health impact.Medical Care, 50(3),217–226.https://doi.org/10.1097/mlr.0b013e3182408812.

  • Schiller,C.,Winters,M.,Hanson,H. M.,&Ashe,M. C.(2013).A framework for stakeholder identification in concept mapping and health research: A novel process and its application to older adult mobility and the built environment.BMC Public Health,13(1),428.https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-428.

  • Schoenwald, S. K., Garland, A. F., Chapman, J. E., Frazier, S. L., Sheidow, A. J., & Southam-Gerow, M. A. (2011). Toward the effective and efficient measurement of implementation fidelity.Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research,38,32–43.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-010-0321-0.

  • Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization(Revised & Updated edition). Doubleday.

  • Shelton,R. C.,Adsul,P.,&Oh,A.(2021).Recommendations for addressing structural racism in implementation science: A call to the field.Ethnicity & Disease,31(Suppl 1),357–364.https://doi.org/10.18865/ed.31.S1.357.

  • Shelton, R. C., Chambers, D. A., & Glasgow, R. E. (2020). An extension of RE-AIM to enhance sustainability: Addressing dynamic context and promoting health equity over time.Frontiers in Public Health, 8,134.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00134.

  • Southam-Gerow, M. A., & Dorsey, S. (2014). Qualitative and mixed methods research in dissemination and implementation science: Introduction to the special issue.Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology,43(6),845–850.https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2014.930690.

  • Steinfeld, B., Franklin, A., Mercer, B., Fraynt, R., & Simon, G. (2015). Progress monitoring in an integrated health care system: Tracking behavioral health vital signs.Administration Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research,43,369–378.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-015-0648-7.

  • Stirman, S. W., Kimberly, J., Cook, N., Calloway, A., Castro, F., & Charns, M. (2012). The sustainability of new programs and innovations: A review of the empirical literature and recommendations for future research.Implementation science, 7(1),1–19.https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-7-17.

  • Stirman, S. W., Gutner, C. A., Langdon, K., & Graham, J. R. (2016). Bridging the gap between research and practice in mental health service settings: An overview of developments in implementation theory and research.Behavior Therapy,47(6),920–936.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2015.12.001.

  • Stirman, S. W., Marques, L., Creed, T. A., Gutner, C. A., DeRubeis, R., Barnett, P. G., Kuhn, E., Suvak, M., Owen, J., Vogt, D., Jo, B., Schoenwald, S., Johnson, C., Mallard, K., Beristianos, M., & Bash, L. (2018). H.Leveraging routine clinical materials and mobile technology to assess CBT fidelity: The innovative methods to assess psychotherapy Practices (imAPP) study.Implementation Science,13,1–11.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-018-0756-3.

  • Stirman, S. W., Baumann, A. A., & Miller, C. J. (2019). The FRAME: An expanded framework for reporting adaptations and modifications to evidence-based interventions.Implementation Science,14,1–10.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-019-0898-y.

  • Stirman, S. W., Gutner, C. A., Gamarra, J., Suvak, M. K., Vogt, D., Johnson, C., Wachen, J. S., Dondanville, K. A., Yarvis, J. S., Mintz, J., Peterson, A. L., Young-McCaughan, S., Resick, P. A., & STRONG STAR Consortium. (2021). &.A novel approach to the assessment of fidelity to a cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD using clinical worksheets: A proof of concept with cognitive processing therapy.Behavior Therapy, 52(3),656–672.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2020.08.005.

  • Teachman, B. A., Drabick, D. A. G., Hershenberg, R., Vivian, D., Wolfe, B. E., & Goldfried, M. R. (2012). Bridging the gap between clinical research and clinical practice: Introduction to the special section.Psychotherapy, 49(2),97–100.https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027346.

  • Webb, C. A., DeRubeis, R. J., & Barber, J. P. (2010). Therapist adherence/competence and treatment outcome: A meta-analytic review.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2),200–211.https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018912.

  • Wells, K. B., & Miranda, J. (2006). Promise of interventions and services research: Can it transform practice?.Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice,13(1),99.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2850.2006.00011.x.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The general article topic and some included ideas were initially presented as part of a special plenary convened at the North American Society for Psychotherapy Research Virtual Conference, November 6, 2021.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Reliant Medical Group, OptumCare, Harvard Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA

    Soo Jeong Youn

  2. Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA

    James F. Boswell, Bethany A. Harris & Syed Aajmain

  3. Department of Leadership, Policy and Organizations, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Susan Douglas

  4. Whole Health Equity Lab, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA

    Kimberly T. Arnold

  5. Penn Collaborative for CBT and Implementation Science, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Torrey A. Creed

  6. Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Cassidy A. Gutner

  7. Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center, Charleston, SC, USA

    Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo

  8. Brown Medicine / Brown Physicians, Inc, Providence, RI, USA

    Jennifer M. Oswald

  9. Dissemination and Training Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA, USA

    Shannon Wiltsey Stirman

Authors
  1. Soo Jeong Youn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. James F. Boswell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Susan Douglas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bethany A. Harris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Syed Aajmain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Kimberly T. Arnold
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Torrey A. Creed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Cassidy A. Gutner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Rosaura Orengo-Aguayo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Jennifer M. Oswald
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Shannon Wiltsey Stirman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Soo Jeong Youn, James Boswell, and Susan Douglas were responsible for the initial conceptualization and broad outline of the article. All authors contributed subsections and assisted with References. Soo Jeong Youn and James Boswell organized and formatted the drafted sections, oversaw the revision process, and completed the final sections and formatting requirements. All authors reviewed the final draft of the document and have approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Soo Jeong Youn.

Ethics declarations

Statements and Declarations

This is a conceptual paper that is submitted as part of a special issue and does not follow an existing reporting guideline framework. The paper is part of the special issue on: “Practice-Oriented Research”.

Conflict of Interest

Vanderbilt University and Susan Douglas receive compensation related to the Peabody Treatment Progress Battery; and Susan Douglas has a financial relationship with MIRAH, and both are Measurement-Based Care (MBC) tools. The author declares a potential conflict of interest. There is a management plan in place at Vanderbilt University to monitor that this potential conflict does not jeopardize the objectivity of Dr. Douglas’ research. No other authors have a conflict of interest to disclose.

Compliance with Ethical Standards

This is a conceptual article that does not involve human subjects research, so it did not require formal ethics approval.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Soo Jeong Youn and James F. Boswell shared first authorship.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Youn, S.J., Boswell, J.F., Douglas, S. et al. Implementation Science and Practice-Oriented Research: Convergence and Complementarity. Adm Policy Ment Health 51, 336–347 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-023-01296-5

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-023-01296-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation