Making implementation simpler

Barwick Implementation Lab

Making implementation simpler

The Barwick Implementation Lab is a home for implementation science and research at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), specializing in dissemination and knowledge translation.

Our program of health services research spans many areas of health to improve the implementation of evidence into practice and community settings and to broaden the reach of evidence to support decision-making, policy, knowledge, awareness, health and well-being.

What is implementation science?

Implementation science is the scientific study of methods to promote the intentional, explicit and systematic uptake of research innovations into routine practice. Whereas research typically focuses on the outcomes of innovations, implementation studies focus on how those innovations get adopted effectively and efficiently.

The field of implementation science seeks to systematically close the gap between what we know and what we do (often called the know-do gap) by identifying and addressing the barriers that slow or halt the uptake of proven health innovations and evidence-based practices.

Melanie Barwick headshot

Our lab team

The Barwick Implementation Lab team is led by Dr. Melanie Barwick and consists of a diverse group of individuals from interdisciplinary backgrounds. Dr. Barwick acts as supervisor or co-supervisor on graduate student and thesis committees for a number of students, including several in her lab.