Chapter 5 - Meta-Analysis of Implementation Practice Research

Summary

This chapter describes how meta-analysis can be used for synthesising findings from implementation practices research. It provides a brief overview of implementation science, research and practice. A better understanding of the processes that operate to promote adoption and use of evidence-based intervention practices is facilitated by implementation research. The chapter presents a framework for categorising different types of implementation and intervention studies. It describes a nontechnical description of meta-analysis with a focus on a particular approach to conducting a research synthesis which attempts to unbundle and unpack the characteristics of implementation practices that influence the adoption and use of evidence-based intervention practices. The latter type of meta-analysis is illustrated using a research synthesis of adult learning methods to show the yield from this type of practice based translational research synthesis. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of meta-analysis for informing advances in implementation research and practice.