Towards an implementation science of complementary health care: some initial considerations for guiding safe, effective clinical decision-making

Background: The effective translation of research findings into clinical practice is a significant challenge to the evidence-based practice movement. In response, implementation science (IS) – the study and application of methods to facilitate the integration of research findings and evidence into healthcare policy and practice – has emerged over recent years. Discussion: While IS has been developed for a wide range of health care settings and disciplines, there has been a paucity of critical discourse on the role of IS in complementary medicine (CM) practice – an area of health care that has gained increasing popularity across many countries and in addition, introduces a number of unique and significant challenges with regards to IS and research translation. In addressing this significant knowledge gap, this paper identifies a number of core features and considerations instrumental in progressing the examination and application of IS to CM-related practice and clinical decision-making. Summary: IS (and its scientific study/practice) is a contemporary scholarly field that cannot be dismissed by those invested in ensuring that CM research is, and remains, practice-, practitioner- and patient-relevant.