Implementation strategies are the mechanisms through which evidence-based practices or innovations are moved into practice. On this page, you will find seminal articles that have conceptualized and defined specific implementation strategies, videos providing overviews of implementation strategies, and resources about how to thoughtfully design implementation strategies to increase the likelihood of successful practice change.
Introduction to Implementation Strategies (Video; 68 minutes)
Dr. Byron Powell from Washington University is the foremost expert on implementation strategies, having authored multiple articles that have moved the field of D&I forward. In this seminar, Dr. Powell provides an overview and introduction to implementation strategies. His presentation begins at the 8:00 minute mark.
A compilation of strategies for implementing clinical innovations in health and mental health
Powell, B. J., McMillan, J. C., Proctor, E. K., Carpenter, C. R., Griffey, R. T., Bunger, A. C., Glass, J. E., & York, J. L. (2012). A compilation of strategies for implementing clinical innovations in health and mental health. Medical Care Research and Review, 69, 123–157. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077558711430690 (Paper)
Seminal article that defines concepts related to implementation strategies and then offers an initial listing of 68 strategies with definitions that are grouped into six key implementation processes.
A refined compilation of implementation strategies: results from the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) project
Powell, B. J., Waltz, T. J., Chinman, M. J., Damschroder, L. J., Smith, J. L., Matthieu, M. M., Proctor, E. K., & Kirchner, J. E. (2015). A refined compilation of implementation strategies: Results from the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) project. Implementation Science, 10, Article 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0209-1 (Paper)
This 2015 article builds upon Powell et al. (2012) by offering refined definitions of 73 strategies. In the field, the ERIC definitions of implementation strategies are cited frequently as a way to use a common language to describe specific implementation strategies.
Beyond “implementation strategies”: classifying the full range of strategies used in implementation science and practic
Leeman, J., Birken, S. A., Powell, B. J., Rohweder, C., & Shea, C. M. (2017). Beyond “implementation strategies”: Classifying the full range of strategies used in implementation science and practice. Implementation Science, 12, Article 125. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0657-x (Paper)
This is another seminal article that introduces a structured classification system to how implementation strategies are distinguished by their actors, targets, and functions.
Implementation strategies: Recommendations for specifying and reporting
Proctor, E. K., Powell, B. J., & McMillan, J. C. (2013). Implementation strategies: Recommendations for specifying and reporting. Implementation Science, 8, Article 139. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-8-139 (Paper)
Implementation science can face challenges around reproducibility if implementation strategies are not appropriately specified. In this article, Proctor and colleagues propose a basic guideline for reporting how implementation strategies have been operationalized in research.
Identifying Strategies to Address Contextual Barriers (Video; 73 minutes)
Dr. Byron Powell and Dr. Laura Damschroder present a seminar on how to select implementation strategies that will overcome substantial contextual barriers to implementation. This presentation begins at the 5:00 minute mark.
Methods to Improve the Selection and Tailoring of Implementation Strategies
Powell, B. J., Beidas, R. S., Lewis, C. C., Aarons, G. A., McMillen, J. C., Proctor, E. K., & Mandell, D. S. (2017). Methods to improve the selection and tailoring of implementation strategies. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 44(2), 177–194. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-015-9475-6 (Paper)
This article provides one of the earliest and most widely cited systematic frameworks for selecting and tailoring implementation strategies to specific contextual barriers and facilitators, which has helped the field to move toward more rigorous, theory‑informed matching of implementation strategies to implementation challenges.
Implementation Mapping: Using Intervention Mapping to Develop Implementation Strategies
Fernandez, M. E., ten Hoor, G. A., van Lieshout, S., Rodriguez, S. A., Beidas, R. S., Parcel, G., Ruiter, R. A. C., Markham, C. M., & Kok, G. (2019). Implementation Mapping: Using intervention mapping to develop implementation strategies. Frontiers in Public Health, 7, Article 158. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00158 (Paper)
This article by Fernandez and colleagues introduces Implementation Mapping, a rigorous, step‑by‑step planning process that links implementation determinants and theories of change to the systematic design, selection, and evaluation of implementation strategies, addressing a major gap between implementation theory and pragmatic strategy development.
Multilevel, Adaptive Implementation Strategies (Video; 30 minutes)
Dr. Daniel Almirall describes the need for multilevel implementation strategies and introduces the concept of multilevel adaptive implementation strategies, which target different strategies to different levels but also are adaptive to organizational needs.
The Cognitive Walkthrough for Implementation Strategies (CWIS) (Video, 42 minutes)
In this presentation, Dr. Aaron Lyon from the University of Washington discusses applying principles of human-centered design to implementation strategies, with the goal of designing strategies that are scalable and feasible. The CWIS is a structured mixed-methods process that seeks to ensure that implementation strategies are practical and useable.
