Using implementation science to improve urologic oncology care

- It can take 17 years for new scientific discoveries to enter clinical practice.
- “Voltage drop” occurs when efficacy trials are translated into routine practice.
- Dissemination and implementation (D&I) research informs changing practices.
- Conducting D&I research during clinical trials can hasten population impact.
- Growing D&I capacity in urologic oncology can help close gaps in cancer care.

There are many gaps between recommended urologic cancer care and real-world practice. Although we increasingly define these quality gaps because of our growing health services research capacity in urologic oncology, we often fall short in translating these findings into effective interventions and strategies to reduce gaps in care. In this article, we highlight implementation research as a logical next step for translating our health services research findings into effective individual and organizational behavior change strategies to improve quality of care. We explain how implementation research focuses on different, upstream outcomes from our clinical outcomes to get the right care to the right patient at the right time. Lastly, we share information about resources and training for those interested in learning more about this emerging, transdisciplinary field.