Building Practical Skills in Implementation and Dissemination Science: A Competency-Based Curriculum

Abstract

Background: Despite growing interest in implementation and dissemination science as a driver of healthcare quality and equity, practical, competency-based curricula for advanced graduate and postgraduate students remain limited. Existing offerings are often introductory, with varied depth and limited focus on applied skill-building.

Objective: To describe the design and rationale of a competency-based Practical Implementation Science course developed to equip advanced learners with the skills needed to translate evidence into real-world practice.

Methods: The course was developed using the textbook Practical Implementation Science: Moving Evidence into Action as its primary source and structured around the Quality Implementation Framework. It was informed by constructivist, experiential, and adult learning theories and aligned with recognized dissemination and implementation science (IS) competencies.

Results: A flipped classroom model will be used to deliver instruction, supporting active, practice-based learning through pre-class preparation and in-class application of IS concepts. The course includes 15 weekly sessions covering core topics such as identifying practice gaps, adapting evidence-based interventions, stakeholder engagement, evaluation planning, and sustainability. Each session is designed to integrate theory with application via case studies, team exercises, and iterative project work. The course is intended to be flexible in delivery (in-person or online), interdisciplinary in scope, and adaptable to the needs of students in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, public health, and allied health. It targets beginner and intermediate competency levels and incorporates formative and summative assessments. Students will progressively develop capstone projects, with structured opportunities for peer and instructor feedback during interactive in-class discussions.

Conclusions: This proposed course represents a scalable and flexible model for preparing healthcare learners in applied IS. Future directions include pilot testing, formal evaluation, interprofessional adaptation, and global implementation to support a diverse and equity-oriented workforce capable of translating evidence into practice.

Keywords: Education; competency-based education; curriculum; implementation science.