Bridging the gap between research, policy, and practice: Lessons learned from academic-public partnerships in the CTSA network.

Amytis Towfighi,Olveen Carrasquillo,Michael B Potter,Jen Brown,Arleen F Brown,Dana Rusch,Deborah K Herman,Moira Inkelas,Sarah S Ritner,Wylie Liu,Paula Fleisher,Tara Mehta,Daniella Meeker,Hal F Yee,Anne Skinner,Rachelle Paul-Brutus,Erika Gustafson,Brendaly Rodríguez ,Doriane Miller ,Savanna L Carson ,Allison Orechwa ,Marc S Atkins ,Tomás Aragón

doi:10.1017/cts.2020.23

Abstract

A primary barrier to translation of clinical research discoveries into care delivery and population health is the lack of sustainable infrastructure bringing researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and communities together to reduce silos in knowledge and action. As National Institutes of Health's (NIH) mechanism to advance translational research, Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) awardees are uniquely positioned to bridge this gap. Delivering on this promise requires sustained collaboration and alignment between research institutions and public health and healthcare programs and services. We describe the collaboration of seven CTSA hubs with city, county, and state healthcare and public health organizations striving to realize this vision together. Partnership representatives convened monthly to identify key components, common and unique themes, and barriers in academic-public collaborations. All partnerships aligned the activities of the CTSA programs with the needs of the city/county/state partners, by sharing resources, responding to real-time policy questions and training needs, promoting best practices, and advancing community-engaged research, and dissemination and implementation science to narrow the knowledge-to-practice gap. Barriers included competing priorities, differing timelines, bureaucratic hurdles, and unstable funding. Academic-public health/health system partnerships represent a unique and underutilized model with potential to enhance community and population health.

Highlights

The translation of research discoveries from “bench to bedside” and into improved health is slow and inefficient [1]
Social determinants of health account for approximately 60% of health outcomes [4], the United States spends a significantly lower percentage of its gross domestic product (GDP) on social services as compared to similar countries with better health outcomes [5], and only 5% of U.S national health expenditures are allocated to population-wide approaches to health promotion [6]
In Los Angeles, each of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) (UCLA and University of Southern California (USC)) appointed as their liaison an academician who practices in the DHS system

Summary

Introduction

The translation of research discoveries from “bench to bedside” and into improved health is slow and inefficient [1]. They developed an alcohol outlet mapping tool that powers health research, routine blood alcohol testing in a trauma center, and influenced a new state ban on the sale of powdered alcohol, to name a few outcomes This initiative was spearheaded by community members in neighborhoods affected by high rates of alcohol-related violence, health problems, and public nuisance activities, in collaboration with the San Francisco Police Department and other stakeholders. In Chicago, the new lead of Research and Evaluation at CDPH and co-chair of C3 helps researchers identify funding opportunities, disseminate research findings, and broker relationships She serves on the CTSI community governance bodies for all three Chicago CTSIs. In Los Angeles, each of the CTSAs (UCLA and USC) appointed as their liaison an academician who practices in the DHS system.

Summary

Findings

Limitations