Implementation Science and Nutrition: From Research to Practice

Implementation science (IS) is a young field that seeks to minimize the gap between what we know and what we practice, otherwise known as the "know-do gap." Recently, IS has focused on research that expedites the dissemination of evidence-based knowledge, accelerates the translation of interventions to improve knowledge gaps, shrinks healthcare disparities, enhances care of complex medical conditions, and narrows variation in clinical practice and policy. This article seeks to review theoretical frameworks of IS and demonstrate how IS can be utilized to improve nutrition care. Specific examples in this article include implementation of initiatives to improve documentation of malnutrition, increase provision of oral nutrition supplements, increase use of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols, and increase energy and protein delivery. Clinical nutrition is a growing field with more and more research findings pointing to new therapies. In implementing these new therapies, practitioners should recognize the complex system present in healthcare and lean on IS findings to speed implementation and more rapidly improve clinical outcomes.