About this Research Topic
Globally, there has been significant investment by governments in the development and implementation of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to prevent chronic diseases in the community. The public health benefits of such programs however may not be seen until years after the EBI is first implemented. The ongoing implementation or sustainability of such programs is therefore required if we are to avoid wasting the substantial investment made in achieving initial implementation. Sustained implementation of EBIs is a considerable challenge in complex, real-world settings. Systematic reviews of public health programs in community and clinical settings have found that many fail to continue once active implementation support is removed.
Sustainability science is an emerging area within the field of implementation science. Evidence building in public health research typically begins with descriptive studies, which helps understand the magnitude of the problem and its determinants. To date, there has been a substantial amount of research in these areas reflected by a growing number of reviews of sustainability as an outcome and associated factors. However in order for a field to progress, there is a need for: the development and testing of measures, understanding causal relations, the development and robust testing of theoretically designed interventions, understanding adaptations and fidelity to such interventions, and ultimately the scale and dissemination of effective interventions.
This Research Topic will include manuscripts that aim to address some of the priority areas for the sustainability field. This may include quantitative or qualitative research in either clinical or community settings. Research papers may:
• Empirically test theories and frameworks to explain and or predict sustainability.
• Describe methods used to adapt EBIs for their sustainment and the effect on intervention fidelity.
• Validate existing measures or develop valid and reliable measures for the field.
• Describe (protocol papers) and or report (outcome papers) prospectively designed sustainability interventions.
• Identify and describe the mechanism of action of sustainability interventions.
• Report the cost or cost-effectiveness of sustainability interventions.
We welcome research from a broad range of settings and populations, including from low-and middle-income countries.
Sustainability science is an emerging area within the field of implementation science. Evidence building in public health research typically begins with descriptive studies, which helps understand the magnitude of the problem and its determinants. To date, there has been a substantial amount of research in these areas reflected by a growing number of reviews of sustainability as an outcome and associated factors. However in order for a field to progress, there is a need for: the development and testing of measures, understanding causal relations, the development and robust testing of theoretically designed interventions, understanding adaptations and fidelity to such interventions, and ultimately the scale and dissemination of effective interventions.
This Research Topic will include manuscripts that aim to address some of the priority areas for the sustainability field. This may include quantitative or qualitative research in either clinical or community settings. Research papers may:
• Empirically test theories and frameworks to explain and or predict sustainability.
• Describe methods used to adapt EBIs for their sustainment and the effect on intervention fidelity.
• Validate existing measures or develop valid and reliable measures for the field.
• Describe (protocol papers) and or report (outcome papers) prospectively designed sustainability interventions.
• Identify and describe the mechanism of action of sustainability interventions.
• Report the cost or cost-effectiveness of sustainability interventions.
We welcome research from a broad range of settings and populations, including from low-and middle-income countries.
Keywords: sustainment, sustainability, implementation, methods, evidence-based intervention, strategies
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
