Abstract
Many health policies are designed with the intention of improving health outcomes for all. Yet implementation of policies are variable across contexts, potentially limiting its impact on population health outcomes. The potential impact of a policy to advance health equity depends both on the design and its implementation, requiring ongoing evaluation and stakeholder engagement. Despite the importance of health policies in shaping public health, health care policy implementation science remains underrepresented in research. We argue that enhanced integration of policy questions within implementation science could reduce the time lag from policy to practice and improve population health outcomes to build a body of evidence on effective policy implementation. In this commentary, we argue that approaches to studying policy implementation science should reflect the dynamic and evolving policy context, analogous to the “learning healthcare system,” to better understand and respond to systematic and multilevel impacts of policy. Several example opportunities for a learning health policy system are posed in building a broader agenda toward research and practice in policy implementation science in public health.
Highlights
Once health policies are developed and adopted, they do not implement themselves
We argue that enhanced integration of policy questions within implementation science could reduce the time lag from policy to practice and improve population health outcomes to build a body of evidence on effective policy implementation
We argue that approaches to studying policy implementation could embrace the dynamic and evolving context of our health care environment, analogous to the “learning healthcare system,” (7) to better understand and respond to the multilevel impacts of policy
Summary
Once health policies are developed and adopted, they do not implement themselves. Rather, they require monitoring, evaluation, and stakeholder engagement to achieve intended goals. When schools and childcare facilities were closed, nursing and support care staff shortages in the health care system were reported due to lack of childcare It highlighted the urgency and the need for ongoing evaluation and monitoring of health related policies and programs, and their implementation in order for our public health and social systems. Investigators found that the potential impact of a policy to advance health equity depends both on the design and its implementation, requiring ongoing evaluation, and stakeholder engagement. This discourse suggests moving beyond sole focus on development of evidence-based policies to a systematic examination of how those policies are implemented. The processes through which these policies are implemented will shape how successfully each setting can deliver effective services
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
