Future Directions for Providing Conceptual Clarity Related to Context in Implementation; Comment on “Stakeholder Perspectives of Attributes and Features of Context Relevant to Knowledge Translation in Health Settings: A Multi-Country Analysis”

In implementation science, contextual inquiry guides the implementation process for successful uptake of evidence-based practices. However, the conceptualization and measurement of context varies across frameworks and stakeholders. To move the field forward, future efforts to advance the understanding of context should incorporate input from implementation stakeholders through co-creation, elicit stakeholders’ perspectives in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to generate a more comprehensive list of determinants, and refine inconsistencies in terminology to promote research synthesis. Greater conceptual clarity and generalizability in contextual inquiry will enable improved communication and collaboration, thus facilitating a shift in focus to development and evaluation of implementation strategies to improve healthcare and health outcomes.