Leveraging implementation science to advance non-pharmacological dementia research

Dementia research has produced a wide range of non-pharmacological innovations and interventions that may be used to promote healthy ageing for people with dementia and their caregivers. However, there are complex real-world challenges that limit the adoption and use of this research in real, contributing to an “implementation gap”. Research often remains within the academic community, unable to reach the intended end-users in practice settings. The field of implementation science provides systematic approaches to study and address the broad and complex factors that may influence successful research adoption.

This dissertation leveraged the field of implementation science to design and guide a systematic scoping review, qualitative interview studies, and multiple case studies to examine the dissemination and implementation of non-pharmacological dementia research. Results from the systematic scoping review determined that successful dementia research adoption is influenced by complex organizational, social, financial, and political factors present in the implementation environment. These results also signaled a gap in knowledge surrounding the roles, responsibilities, and activities of stakeholders in the implementation context. Interviews and multiple case studies were conducted to elucidate the various strategies used by dementia researchers and public and private research funders to address unique challenges in dementia research. Results highlighted the importance of approaching implementation challenges with a comprehensive “research ecosystem” approach. This dissertation contributed practical insights, revealing the resources, infrastructure, and competencies essential to dementia research implementation. Findings also determined key capacity-building areas to direct future research investment and accelerate the translation of non-pharmacological dementia interventions into practice.