Course Implementation Science and Implementation Practice

The course C339/ From Implementation Science to Implementation Practice  is being offered by the Graduate School of Health, Aarhus University, 2026.

Criteria for participation: University degree in medicine, dentistry, nursing, or Master’s degree in other fields and/or postgraduate research fellows (PhD students and research-year medical students).

Requirements for participation: Participants should ideally be working with a PhD project were some sort of intervention will be or has been implemented (e.g. a new procedure, assessment or diagnostic method, exercise, psychological nursing or medical intervention or similar). Participants in the early phase of their PhD project can this use the course for planning both the implementation process and implementation evaluation, while participants with projects where the intervention is already running, can use the course for performing an evaluation of implementation success or for planning the sustained implementation of the intervention.

Aim: The course aims to equip participants with both knowledge and practical tools for running an implementation project from A to Z. Thus, participants will learn about a broad aspect of implementation science theories, models and frameworks, but also about the practical tools to conduct implementation processes. The course is very much a hands-on course, where participants will practice application of the different methods and tools both in the class room, but also in practice in their own setting between course days.

Learning outcomes: During this 6-day course, participants will:

• Gain knowledge on implementation science, including selected theories, models and frameworks, and the challenges in bridging implementation science and implementation practice.
• Learn to critically apply selected theories, models, and framework, including how these can guide the design, implementation, and evaluation of their own projects.
• Learn to specify the object being implemented, and critically reflect on how this specification influences the choice of implementation strategies, outcomes, and study design.
• Learn to apply determinant frameworks that can be used to identify, categorize, and analyze determinants influencing the implementation process.
• Gain knowledge on the importance of stakeholder involvement including learning practical methods for stakeholder involvement.
• Learn how to tailor implementation strategies, linking specific types of strategies to identified barriers and facilitators and gain insight into various change mechanisms through which implementation strategies are expected to produce change.
• Gain an understanding of key factors influencing successful implementation, including the role of implementation agents, relationship-building, and other contextual and interpersonal elements that facilitate effective implementation processes.
• Gain knowledge and understanding of the concept of sustainability in implementation, and how to plan and apply sustainability strategies to ensure lasting change.

Workload: The full workload of the course is expected to be 39 hours in-class, and 15 hours of assignments and out-of-class activities, excluding reading as preparation for the course.

Content: This is a hands-on course with 6 full days, designed as a 6-week course with two consecutive course days every three weeks. In the weeks between course days, participants will be expected to solve a practical and written task for optimized learning. The course days are a mix of lectures and group activities, where your will be grouped with participants with similar projects to gain the most of discussions. You will be using your own project as a case during the course, to ensure you apply what you learn instantly in your own setting.

• Day 1 and 2: The first two course days entail an overview of theories, models and frameworks in implementation science, how implementation science and implementation practice differs, and the first steps in planning an implementation process in practice.
• Days 3 and 4: The following two course days focus on conducting a barrier analysis using determinant frameworks, and how to link identified barriers to specific implementation strategies through and understanding of mechanisms and theories. The participants will prepare a small real-life barrier analysis or stakeholder involvement process to be conducted before the last course days.
• Days 5 and 6: The focus of course day 5 is on the roles and skills required of the implementer and supporters, and how relations and context influences the actual implementation process, while day 6 is focused on the sustainability phase of implementation, and how we may evaluate our projects.

Instructors: 
Nanna Rolving, head of research at Aarhus University Hospital, Dep. Of Physio- and Occupational Therapy, and associate professor at the Dep. Of Public Health, Aarhus University
Maja Husted Hubeishy, implementation researcher at Dep. Of Physio- and Occupational Therapy, Aarhus University Hospital

Venue: Aarhus University, Aarhus

Participation in the course is without cost for:

• PhD students, Health Research Year students from Aarhus University
• PhD students enrolled at partner universities of the Nordoc collaboration
• PhD students from other institutions in the open market agreement for PhD courses

Course dates:

• 28 September 2026 09:00 - 15:30
• 29 September 2026 09:00 - 15:30
• 19 October 2026 09:00 - 15:30
• 20 October 2026 09:00 - 15:30
• 09 November 2026 09:00 - 15:30
• 10 November 2026 09:00 - 15:30