Embedding research to improve program implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean/Incorporación de las investigaciones para mejorar la ejecución de programas en America Latina y el Caribe/Integrar a pesquisa para melhorar a implementacao de programas na America Latina e no Caribe

• Published in: Revista panamericana de salud pública 2017-12, Vol.41 (8)
• Main Authors: Varallyay, Ilona, Elias, Vanessa, Reveiz, Ludovic, Langlois, Etienne V, Ghaffar, Abdul, Mancuso, Arielle, Tran, Nhan, Becerra- Posada, Francisco
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1020-4989

In the last 10 years, implementation research has come to play a critical role in improving the implementation of already-proven health interventions by promoting the systematic uptake of research findings and other evidence-based strategies into routine practice. The Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research and the Pan American Health Organization implemented a program of embedded implementation research to support health programs in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in 2014-2015. A total of 234 applications were received from 28 countries in the Americas. The Improving Program Implementation through Embedded Research (iPIER) scheme supported 12 implementation research projects led by health program implementers from nine LAC countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Saint Lucia. Through this experience, we learned that the "insider" perspective, which implementers bring to the research proposal, is particularly important in identifying research questions that focus on the systems failures that often manifest in barriers to implementation. This paper documents the experience of and highlights key conclusions about the conduct of embedded implementation research. The iPIER experience has shown great promise for embedded research models that place implementers at the helm of implementation research initiatives. Keywords Evidence-based practice; health plan implementation; program evaluation; Latin America; West Indies. En los ultimos 10 anos, las investigaciones sobre la ejecucion de programas han desempenado una funcion crucial en lo que respecta a la mejora de la ejecucion de intervenciones de salud de eficacia comprobada, porque han promovido la incorporacion sistematica de los resultados de investigaciones y otras estrategias basadas en datos probatorios en la practica cotidiana. Entre el 2014 y el 2015, la Alianza para la Investigacion en Politicas y Sistemas de Salud, y la Organizacion Panamericana de la Salud pusieron en marcha un proyecto que propone incorporar las investigaciones sobre la ejecucion para apoyar a los programas de salud en America Latina y el Caribe. En total, se recibieron 234 solicitudes de 28 paises de las Americas. La iniciativa "Mejora de la Ejecucion de los Programas mediante la Incorporacion de la Investigacion (iPIER)" respaldo la realizacion de 12 proyectos de investigacion dirigidos por ejecutores de programas de salud de nueve paises de America Latina y el Caribe: Argentin