Implementation Mapping [3], an extension of the Intervention Mapping process [1] that incorporates insights from the implementation science field (e.g., Nilsen [5]), offers a systematic solution. Implementation Mapping comprises five specific tasks: (1) conducting a needs assessment and identifying program adopters and implementers; (2) defining adoption and implementation outcomes, outlining performance objectives, identifying determinants, and creating matrices of change objectives; (3) selecting theoretical methods and devising or selecting implementation strategies; (4) generating implementation protocols and materials; and (5) assessing implementation outcomes. These five tasks operate iteratively, with planners revisiting previous stages to ensure the comprehensive coverage of adopters, implementers, outcomes, determinants, and objectives.

The systematic, theory- and evidence-based process of developing behavior change interventions can be time-consuming. However, in times of urgency, this development process must become more efficient without sacrificing scientific rigor [6]. For instance, Ten Hoor et al. [7] described the just-in-time, planned development of an online intervention within higher education aimed at promoting COVID-19 vaccination among university students just before they became eligible for vaccination. They demonstrated that intervention development can proceed rapidly while maintaining empirical and theoretical support. Both Intervention Mapping and Implementation Mapping played pivotal roles in guiding decision-making at every step. They underscored the importance of trust in the program developers’ quality and emphasized that the focus should be placed on applying theory rather than testing it. Hanney et al. [6] identified four key approaches to reducing time lags: (1) augmenting resources, (2) parallel workstreams, (3) initiating work at risk (as waiting may not be an option), and (4) learning from the process to enhance future processes. Varol et al. [8, 9, 10] and Ten Hoor et al. [7] followed a similar process when developing COVID-19 health promotion interventions for Maastricht University students in the Netherlands.

Fernandez et al. [11] introduced a special issue in Frontiers in Public Health, where a wide array of papers details the applications of Implementation Mapping and how this can contribute to bridging the research-to-practice gap to improve health and health equity. They highlighted the unfortunate reality that many evidence-based interventions either remain unimplemented or face significant delays in their deployment. Implementation Mapping offers a practical methodology for planning implementation strategies that can optimize their effectiveness. Just as Intervention Mapping has enhanced the effectiveness of interventions, the utilization of Implementation Mapping has the potential to improve the suitability, quality, and impact of implementation strategies and outcomes. This, in turn, can lead to increased adoption, more successful implementation, and sustained deployment of evidence-based interventions, ultimately resulting in improved population health.

Nurses and health scientists need to successfully adopt, apply, and maintain effective evidence-based interventions to improve health and healthcare in rapidly changing clinical environments and the community. This is a great challenge for them, and Implementation Mapping can be used as a valuable tool to guide them at each decision-making step.