Role of Implementation Science: Linking Fundamental Discovery Science and Innovation Science to Ending the HIV Epidemic at the Community Level.

BACKGROUND

During the past 4 decades, substantial progress has been made in the development of strategies for HIV prevention, treatment, and care resulting from observational science, discovery and innovation science, and implementation science. Building on these fundamental discoveries, innovation science has led to novel, safe, and effective modalities for HIV treatment and prevention, including combination antiretroviral therapy and treatment as prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis, respectively.

SETTING

In the United States and globally, there remains a major challenge in the optimal implementation of the strategies that we already have in the areas of HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care.

METHODS

Implementation science will be essential to the successful achievement of ending the global HIV epidemic by translating evidence-based interventions, resulting from discovery and innovation science, into real-world practice. Strategies are needed that integrate and implement the biomedical tools currently available within the social and structural contexts and across all stages of the HIV prevention and care continuum. Several of the latest methodologies and analytical approaches that are being actively pursued, as well as the research challenges and opportunities to conducting implementation science in the context of both the global and domestic responses to HIV, are the focus of this special supplement to the Journal of AIDS.

CONCLUSIONS

Knowledge resulting from implementation science will be critical to define and refine the approaches to successfully bring HIV prevention and treatment interventions to scale and achieve the goal of ending the HIV epidemic in the United States and worldwide.