GLOHRA Training on Implementation Science and Multimorbidity

The aim was to strengthen researchers in applying implementation science to address the challenges of multimorbidity in diverse health systems worldwide. Multimorbidity represents a growing burden — particularly in settings facing a double or triple burden of disease — and remains underrepresented in implementation research.

Participants followed a structured curriculum, covering the foundations of implementation science and the global relevance of multimorbidity, context-specific approaches, and the development and evaluation of implementation strategies. Practice-oriented case studies, methodological sessions, and mentoring supported the application to individual research questions and projects. Discussions on ethical and equitable implementation strategies, as well as exchanges on context, stakeholder engagement, and mechanisms of action were particularly valued.

The team of lecturers included, among others, Prof Grace Marie Ku, Prof Daniel Boateng, Prof Till Bärnighausen, Prof Martin Heine, Prof Michael Laxy, Dr Marie-Therese Schultes, Dr Corinna Klingler, and the newly appointed Professor of Public Health Implementation Science at LMU, Julia Lohmann. The training was organized by Dr Lisa Pfadenhauer, Head of the Research Team Knowledge Translation at the Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research, in collaboration with Prof Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch (UMC Utrecht) and Rupal Shah (Heidelberg University, University of Washington). Funding was provided by the German Alliance for Global Health Research (GLOHRA).

Participants emphasized that the training strengthened their ability to implement evidence-based interventions for complex patient groups and to systematically capture impact and sustainability. The event also created an international network to foster future collaboration and joint research on implementation strategies for multimorbidity.