6th UK and Ireland Implementation Science Research Conference 2023
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PRESENter
Alexandra Feast
presenter biography
Dr Alexandra Feast has a background in Psychology, Neuroscience, Dementia and Cancer research. She has conducted, commissioned and managed Health Research for 15 years, and has a particular interest in complex psychosocial interventions, implementation science and improving health services for people affected by cancer. She is an Honorary Research Fellow at University College London and a research programme Manager at Cancer Research UK. She manages the Test Evidence Transition programme, which provides funding and support to NHS teams to implement and evaluate new models of cancer service delivery.
background
Cancer Research UK has launched a new programme of commissioned activity, ‘Test Evidence Transition’, which aims to accelerate the effective adoption of innovations whilst reducing inequalities. The objective is to drive the transition of effective interventions from innovation into mainstream NHS practice, addressing the ‘implementation gap’ to improve the experience and outcomes of those affected by cancer.
MEthod
The programme closely supports frontline NHS teams working to achieve three objectives: Test innovations to support optimal cancer pathways that transform clinical practice; Evidence the process, outcome, and impact of implementation; and work with strategic partners to ensure the Transition of evidence-based approaches into effective and equitable adoption across the NHS.
The programme combines top-down ‘push’ approaches (system levers) with bottom-up ‘pull’ approaches (real-time learning and collaboration) to stimulate sustained pathway improvements. As an active commissioner, we provide strategic oversight, creating a community of stakeholder expertise, including academic and clinical partners who will co-design resources, informed by relevant implementation science frameworks, to support implementation, evaluation and scalability.
results
We present emerging findings and insights from the first phase of the programme, commenced in April 2023 and concluding in October 2024, providing funding and support to three frontline NHS teams exploring pathway innovations for cancer. Evaluation plans cover clinical impact, acceptability and cost effectiveness, including analysis of health economic and patient reported outcomes. Projects will report on programme inputs, outputs, outcomes, and factors influencing implementation, sustainability, scalability and evaluability.
Conclusion
In delivering a focused model to pioneer health system transformational change, the programme provides a test bed for innovations that transform clinical practice and optimise the cancer pathway, triangulating and interpreting evidence and evaluation to enable acceleration into mainstream practice. The programme will provide high-quality evidence to decision-makers on how best to address the challenges of translation, aiding the implementation and spread of identified best practice.