Maximizing the Impact of the Evidence Based Interventions: Utilizing Simulation-Based Research in Implementation Science

This workshop explores the intersection of simulation-based research (SBR) and implementation science within the context of social work research. The field of implementation science supports the translation of evidence based and research informed interventions, practices, policies into routine health and behavioral health care. Policy makers who support the implementation of such interventions are often faced with the task of implementation in contexts that are quite unique from those in which the intervention was initially developed or tested. While SBR is largely used as a research methodology to assess practice competencies, such methodologies offer policymakers the possibility to test their chosen intervention in an environment that closely mimics that of their implementation context. Such simulations can focus not only on the dyadic interaction between a client and clinician but also on the environmental context in which this interaction occurs, mimicking the conditions under which the intervention will be implemented. Collaborating with stakeholders to design and execute simulations, particularly constituents targeted to provide or expected to receive the services, can help center the voices of those most impacted. Findings from such research can help policy makers choose implementation approaches or develop adaptations of the intervention that best suit their implementation context. Recognizing the growing importance of innovative approaches to enhance implementation outcomes, this workshop seeks to provide participants with practical insights and tools for integrating simulation methodologies into their research endeavors.

The workshop will begin with a brief overview of key concepts and theoretical frameworks in implementation science, emphasizing the relevance of simulation methodologies to these ideas. It will provide an overview of simulation methodologies with a focus on the use of simulated patients and environments as well as the mediums through which simulation can occur. We will then discuss an interactive case study that focuses on the implementation of a universal screening and assessment tool in a public sector health and behavioral health system. This case will provide an example of how SBR can be used to anticipate, address, and respond to implementation challenges facing policymakers seeking to impact the delivery of health and behavioral health services. The case study will illuminate the practical dilemmas such research poses for both researchers and policy makers seeking to implement its findings.

Three panelists and the organizer will provide their perspective on the case study, including a constituent who participated as a simulated patient, a clinician who tested the tool in the simulated environment, a project manager who managed the logistical challenges of the project, and an academic researcher who worked with policy makers to define the research questions and design the study. Each will offer their own insights for the benefit of the learners, considerations that include: the ethics of simulation research, resource needs, stakeholder engagement, the complexities of simulating both a specific interaction and a specific context and working collaboratively with policy makers. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and to collectively apply their learning to the case example.