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

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

doi:10.1017/cts.2020.23

Journal of Clinical and Translational Science (Jun 2020)

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

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

Affiliations

Amytis Towfighi: ORCiD; Southern California Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Allison Zumberge Orechwa: ORCiD; Southern California Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Tomás J. Aragón: San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, CA, USA
Marc Atkins: Center for Clinical Translational Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Arleen F. Brown: Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Los Angeles, CA, USA University of California Los Angeles Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Jen Brown: Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Chicago, IL, USA
Olveen Carrasquillo: University of Miami Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Miami, FL, USA
Savanna Carson: University of California Los Angeles Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Paula Fleisher: University of California San Francisco Clinical and Translational Science Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
Erika Gustafson: Center for Clinical Translational Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Deborah K. Herman: University of California Los Angeles Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Moira Inkelas: University of California Los Angeles Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Wylie Liu: University of California San Francisco Clinical and Translational Science Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
Daniella Meeker: Southern California Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Tara Mehta: Center for Clinical Translational Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Doriane C. Miller: Institute for Translational Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Rachelle Paul-Brutus: Chicago Department of Public Health, Chicago, IL, USA
Michael B. Potter: University of California San Francisco Clinical and Translational Science Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
Sarah S. Ritner: Alliance Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Brendaly Rodriguez: University of Miami Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Miami, FL, USA
Dana Rusch: Center for Clinical Translational Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Anne Skinner: University of California Los Angeles Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Hal F. Yee: Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Los Angeles, CA, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2020.23
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 4
pp. 201 – 208

Abstract

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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 Healthʼs (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.

Published in Journal of Clinical and Translational Science

ISSN: 2059-8661 (Online)
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine
Website: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-clinical-and-translational-science

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