Health-Within and Translational Research
The Health-Within website is all about translating public health research into practice. In other words, it aims to ensuring that the work done by academic researchers is seen by practitioners, incorporated into their work and leads to benefits across society.
Towards this aim, the website focuses on ‘translational research’ and other academic work that looks at real world applications of scientific concepts. For example, you’ll find articles on how we can best utilise new scientific discoveries relating to GLP-1 medications for weight management, and how we can turn what we know about mental health into programmes that make a real difference in our communities.
What do we mean by “translational research”?
Translational research is commonly used to describe the connected set of activities that move knowledge from discovery through to real‑world benefits in practice, services, policy and, ultimately, population outcomes. The most well know forms of translational research come from biomedicine and pharmaceuticals.
An article by Fort et al (2017) provides a good overview of five key stages in translational research (T0 to T5). T0 encompasses foundational research, such as genome‑wide association studies, which feeds back into basic science and informs subsequent translational phases. T1 focuses on processes that translate basic scientific discoveries into early testing in humans. T2 involves demonstrating effectiveness in human studies and informing the development of clinical guidelines. T3 centres on implementation and dissemination research, while T4 examines population‑level outcomes and effectiveness.
The RE‑AIM Framework takes this process further and is particularly helpful for those of us in public health, who may be used to seeing well tested scientific technologies not live up to expectations when they are implemented in the real world. RE-AIM argues that public health impact depends not only on effectiveness but also on Reach, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance. Twenty years after the original RE-AIM was produced, a review expanded and adapted the Framework and advocate for key enhancements, such as the inclusion of qualitative research to better understand why scientific findings do, or do not, translate into real world benefits across society.
A final model to highlight that is relevant to this topic is the Knowledge-to-Action (KTA) Framework. This sets out two key components. The first is ‘knowledge creation’ which includes the production, synthesis and interpretation of knowledge. As knowledge moves through three stages (inquiry, synthesis, tools/products), it becomes more user-friendly. The second component is the ‘action cycle’ consisting of seven activities required for effective implementation of knowledge. These include adapting knowledge to the local context, assessing barriers and facilitators to its use, the involvement of stakeholders, and tailoring knowledge to the needs of people who are going to use it.
Translation requires interdisciplinary working
For the effective translation of research into benefit, we need good team work. For example, take the development of GLP-1 medication. Biomedical scientists may be able to develop a treatment that works well in an RCT. But that doesn’t automatically translate into an observable reduction in obesity related harm.
For successful implementation we also need health economists and health policy experts to examine whether it will actually be prescribed in a real world (and cash-strapped!) context. We need behavioural scientists to tell us how to support people to use the medications properly within a healthy diet, and how to avoid weight regain when the medication is stopped. Finally, we need the input from people who actually use the medication, as well as those that don’t, to feedback on the motivations, experiences and benefits of using the medication so that we can refine its use.
Health-Within is all about translation
The Health‑Within website seeks to facilitate the translation of research into real world benefit. It highlights new research findings in a way that is accessible to a wider audience and set out the actionable insights that this research offers. In that way, it contributes to translational research primarily by supporting later‑stage translation. That is, it is concerned with implementation, dissemination, and population impact.
It also provides useful tools for those seeking to take real-world research forward. For example, the IDEA approach helps turning concepts into effective proposals for funding and implementation. The approach is based on our own real-world experience of securing support for innovative work, and as such, is a tried and tested tool for others to use and adapt to their own needs.