In particular, we work with the Health Innovation Network in south London, who specialise in supporting services to adopt innovation in care. Health Innovation Network is the Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) for south London, one of 15 AHSNs across England. AHSNs operate with three core aims: improving outcomes for patients, driving down costs and stimulating economic growth.
This work is being led by Dr Natasha Curran, medical director at the Health Innovation Network, who leads ARC South London's implementation and involvement team, helping the research themes to prioritise and support research into practice.
ARC South London implementation strategy
An implementation strategy is being developed which involves engaging with key stakeholders such as, senior representatives from local health and care organisations, and both south London STPs. It will draw upon implementation science, as well as significant practical experience of implementation of research findings from CLAHRC South London research themes and the AHSN.
The emerging implementation strategy has a number of elements:
- Support research themes to consider implementation feasibility, barriers and enablers, at the earliest stages of research design
- Targeted support to facilitate the implementation of a number of strategically important research findings with high impact to meet the needs of local populations
- Developing a culture receptive to research and innovation and the conditions which support research adoption within local health and care organisations, including through the ARCs capacity building courses and activities.
How we will achieve measurable impact
We will prioritise a number of key research outcomes (evidence-based interventions) and actively support their implementation. These research findings are likely to come from our ARC’s research themes and other ARCs. We will develop criteria and a process for prioritisation and selection that involves key stakeholders and has patient and public involvement. Following selection of promising evidence-based interventions, we will:
- provide practical support for implementation (advice, tools and resources, project support, communities of practice and collaboratives)
- influence system-level planning and commissioning processes (e.g. via service specifications and aligned incentives which support research implementation).
To maximise early success and scale of impact, we will work initially with clinical services that have a track record of close collaboration with academic colleagues and have experience of implementation of research findings. This will include the Clinical Academic Groups (CAGs) across King’s Health Partners (KHP) and selected services at St George’s, and KHP’s emerging Clinical Academic Institutes. We will leverage existing capability in quality improvement and implementation science across all ARC partners, working in close collaboration with Trust transformation teams.
We will build on the HIN’s work with the south-east London STP on innovation uptake, including NHSE’s Innovation and Technology Payment, other local and national innovations and digital health. We will also work with patient groups and the third sector to ensure research is co-produced and relevant to local people’s health needs.
