Translation research is an essential but not sufficient ingredient for translation of genomic medicine into population health benefits

Abstract

To the Editor: I appreciate and agree with the comments of Zimmern and Brice1.Zimmern R.L. Brice P.C. Realizing the benefits: translation is not translation research.10.1097/GIM.0b013e3181c20bd2Genet Med. 2009; 11: 897-898Google Scholar on the recent article describing the Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention Network.2.Khoury M.J. Feero W.G. Reyes M. The Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention.10.1097/GIM.0b013e3181a551ccGenet Med. 2009; 11: 488-494Google Scholar Translation of genomic advances into population health benefits is a shared goal for the medical and public health communities. The premise of GAPPNet is that translation research, such as comparative effectiveness research,3.Khoury M.J. Rich E.C. Randhawa G. Teutsch S.M. Niederhuber J. Comparative effectiveness research and genomic medicine: an evolving partnership for 21sy century medicine.1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXht1KjurfJ10.1097/GIM.0b013e3181b99b90Genet Med. 2009; 11: 707-711Google Scholar will make translation more evidence based. Translation research is a necessary but not sufficient ingredient for translation. From other fields of medicine, we know that many evidence-based applications seem to be “lost in translation” and do not make the desired impact on population health.4.Lenfant C. Shattuck lecture—clinical research to clinical practice—lost in translation?.10.1056/NEJMsa035507N Engl J Med. 2003; 349: 868-874Google Scholar GAPPNet will address translation in the context of translation research and the need for explicit processes of guidelines, policy, and service development. One of the four components of GAPPNet are nonresearch translation programs such as the ones that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently funded.5.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention Network. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/translation/GAPPNet/index.htm. Accessed September 17, 2009.Google Scholar I agree that “achieving translation of genomic medicine requires the movement of knowledge from the academic and research arena into a world of policy makers, clinical practitioners and health service managers, a community with different objectives, reward strategies and culture.” As a stakeholder-driven enterprise, GAPPNet will attempt to do the kind of knowledge brokering that the authors allude to6.Pronovost P.J. Berenholtz S.M. Needham D.M. Translating evidence into practice: a model for large scale knowledge translation.10.1136/bmj.a1714BMJ. 2008; 337: 963-965Google Scholar, 7.Canadian Health Services Research Foundation. Knowledge Brokering. 2009. Available at: http://www.chsrf.ca/keys/use_knowledge_e.php. Accessed September 15, 2009.Google Scholar, 8.van K.J. de S.D. Sewankambo N. Using knowledge brokering to promote evidence-based policy-making: the need for support structures.10.2471/BLT.05.028308Bull World Health Organ. 2006; 84: 608-612Google Scholar by bringing the stakeholders together to consider their priorities, concerns, and constraints, in the context of social, ethical, legal, and financial implications of innovations. I look forward to an active GAPPNet stakeholder process that should be enhanced by translation research and evaluation, leading to appropriate use of genomic knowledge for the benefit of population health. Disclosure: The author declares no conflict of interest.