Improving alcohol and other drug services requires more than new interventions, it demands a deep understanding of the complex systems in which these services operate. Implementation science and systems thinking offer powerful, complementary approaches to support innovation in this space.
By identifying the factors that influence the uptake, adaptation, and sustainability of evidence-based practices, implementation science provides tools to tailor solutions to real-world contexts.
Systems thinking complements this by examining how components of the service ecosystem (policies, organisations, and frontline behaviours) interact, enabling the design of interventions that align with, rather than resist, the dynamics of local systems.
Presented here are examples of DigitAS projects grounded in these approaches.
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Improving addiction responses for forcibly displaced people: A pilot study on consensus methods
Populations affected by forced displacement experience heightened exposure to risk factors for substance use disorders (SUDs), including trauma, disrupted legal and social protections, and exploitation. Despite this, forcibly displaced people remain under-recognized and under-researched in public health, particularly within addiction science. While data on specialised services for people with migrant backgrounds who use drugs (PMWUDs)…