Implementation science : bridging the gap between point-of-care diagnostics research and practice

Abstract

The advent of the novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has fuelled technological innovation and led to the increased research on development and deployment of new diagnostics for use at point-of-care (POC). The rapid uptake of the newly developed diagnostics requires a systematic approach to bridge the research-to-practice gap. Implementation science (IS) involves the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) that are characterised by both quality improvement and dissemination methods aiming to promote the scaling up of health interventions such as POC diagnostics to enhance quality and outcomes [1]. This research approach employs transdisciplinary quantitative and qualitative designs with solid grounding in theory. Implementation science studies are designed to enable identification of factors that impact uptake of health interventions across multiple levels, including the patient, provider, clinic, facility, organisation, and often the broader community and policy environment. In this Special Issue, we present a summary of twelve studies that employed implementation science approaches demonstrating research aimed at optimising implementation various kinds of point-of-care (POC) diagnostics among different population groups and different healthcare settings globally.