Exploring Implementation Science through Singapore's ACP Quality Framework: Translating Evidence into Meaningful Change in Healthcare Practice
21 August 2026
The second CoP session drew on the development and implementation of the national ACP Quality Framework, to share lessons on translating evidence into sustainable practice change.
At the second Community of Practice (CoP) in Implementation Science for Geriatric Medicine held on 21 Aug 2026, participants explored the development of Singapore's first Advance Care Planning (ACP) Quality Framework and the resulting Guidelines for Quality Implementation of Advance Care Planning.
Building on the inaugural CoP session, which introduced implementation science (IS) concepts and the Knowledge-to-Action Framework, Session Two examined key implementation processes, including adapting evidence to local contexts and identifying barriers.
Image: Knowledge Translation Program, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto
Drawing on their experience leading the development and implementation of the ACP Quality Framework, Adjunct Assistant Professor Raymond Ng, Senior Consultant and Chief of Palliative & Supportive Care at Woodlands Hospital, and Adjunct Associate Professor Tan Woan Shin, Deputy Executive Director and Lead Scientist at GERI, shared practical lessons on translating evidence into sustainable practice change.
The session also featured an interactive breakout segment, where GERI researchers took participants through a guided-reconstruction group activity. Using the Theoretical Domains Framework guide and Select tool, participants gained a hands-on experience applying IS frameworks to map barriers and identify suitable implementation strategies.
Reflecting on his experience developing the Framework and Guidelines, Adjunct Assistant Professor Ng noted: “ACP is a complex process that must be adapted to each culture and context, and implementation science has the potential to accelerate integration of ACP in real-world settings."
Read the case study published in Frontiers in Health Services: “Using an implementation science approach to enhance advance care planning practice: a community case study”, click here.
Read more about Community of Practice (CoP) in Implementation Science for Geriatric Medicine here.