Translational Science - Essay Example

Translational Review and Evidence-Based Practice Translational Review and Evidence-Based Practice Introduction Translational research, also called translative research or translational science, is a type of engineering research whose goal is to transform findings from basic investigation into useful practical applications which promote man’s health and wellness. Besides medicine and nursing, translational research also has applications agricultural, environmental, behavioral and social sciences. In the health sciences, it seeks to take findings in basic science to the next level: practical applications in medicine and nursing. This paper examines how the question "Why is there not a uniform nurse-patient ratio in all the states of the U.S.?” could be investigated using the third approach to translational research, namely Implementation and Testing of Systems Change. Theoretical Framework to Support Investigation Today, there exist several healthcare practices that are based on research-driven evidence for many conditions that include diabetes, asthma and cardiac failure(Titler, 2011). Unfortunately, the implementation of these practices is inconsistent, andvariations in practice are common. In the past, research into patient safety has tended to overemphasize the collection and analysis od data which is then used to demonstrate that there are better ways to ensure patient safety. Not much research has been undertaken on how to implement those findings. Putting into practice evidence from research is an uphill task that requires continued collaboration among various players in healthcare provision. These include government agencies, healthcare providers and individual practitioners among other actors. Recently, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) developed a conceptual framework for ensuring that research findings are translated into practice as much as possible and also in the shortest time possible(Titler , 2011). The approach of implementation and testing of systems change incorporates ideas and concepts from several disciplines that include scientific transfer of knowledge, organizational innovation, social marketing and behaviour change. The framework is presented as a series of steps, in practice, however, the process of knowledge transfer is never a linear process. Rather, it is a back-and-forth process in which information is shared between researchers, regulators and practitioners. Process/ Implementation Analysis The process of putting into practice the findings of the research arising out of the above question will entail several stages(Titler , 2011). The first step will entail collecting data from a sample of health facilities across the country. The respondents in the survey are likely to be top managers in the selected healthcare facilities. During the research, their views may be collected on why their facility does not meet the World Health Organization (WHO) and national government set guidelines on nurse-patient ratio. The next stage would be to analyze and present the findings of the survey. After the findings have been documented, the next phase of the process is to disseminate the findings for implementation. The goal of implementation is to get individuals, teams and organizations to adopt and apply continually findings of the research(Grady, 2010). There are several strategies to get the findings of the research to be implemented, not just in the short term, but also in the long term. One strategy is to identify a change champion in every organization earmarked for the implementation of the findings. Ideally, such a person should be a manager at a senior level of management with the authority to enforce the findings. The person will also act as a link between the organization and the researchers. It takes much time and effort to sustain a lasting change(Grady, 2010). This fact will require that the researchers set up a team that will work closely with the organizations taking part in the pilot implementation project. This team will work closely with the organizations through their (organizations’) change champions. Outcome Analysis The findings of the investigation will have to be analyzed to make them into useful information that can be presented to practitioners for application. However, there is the danger of researchers trying to manipulate, or even force, research findings so that they appear useful for practical application(Titler , 2011). This is where the professional code of ethics comes in. In addition, it will be mandatory that the finding of the investigation is published in an authoritative journal such as the American Journal of Translation Research. This way, the readers of the findings in general and the organizations tah will be approached for implementation will have confidence that the findings have been reviewed by peers and were, therefore, credible. On their own, research findings have no meaning. To give them meaning and significance, it would be necessary to compare and contrast those findings with the findings of the same or similar investigations carried out in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world, provided that the circumstances under which the two researches were conducted are similar(Padilha, 2011). For example, whereas it would be useful to compare the research with one conducted in Canada, it would ne nonsensical to compare it with one held in Zimbabwe. Both the U.S. and Canada are developed economies. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, is a developing country. In undertaking the comparison, the researchers must also take into account the currency of the study they are comparing theirs with. It would not be prudent to cite a similar research conducted in the 1980s, for instance. Impact Analysis During the pilot implementation phase, the impact of implementing the findings of the research will have to be assessed. The impact was to be analyzed according to the various stakeholders in the process (Padilha, 2011). For instance, the researchers may want to find out the effect of a health facility improving its nurse-patient ratio the satisfaction of the customers of the facility. Probably, there will exist a linear relationship between the two variables. Increasing the nurse to patient ratio is likely to increase customer satisfaction as they are likely to receive closer attention from the nurses. Nevertheless, it still will be necessary to conduct a survey among the health institution’s clients. Besides customers, the enforcement of the findings of this investigation is likely to affect the organizations involved(Padilha, 2011). It is probable that many managers will be concerned that hiring more nurses to meet the world, and national nurse-patient ratios is likely to eat into the organizations’ profit margins by increasing their wage bills. Or some managers may believe that their staffing level is optimal even if it fails to meet the recommended ratios and that hiring more nurses would lead to overstaffing. Either way, it would be necessary to conduct a follow-up study to establish how the implementation of the research findings impacts on organizations. Cost Analysis Conducting research requires funds to pay researchers and meet other expenses associated with the research. To implement the findings, even just on a small pilot scale, requires more financial resources. If the findings were to be applied throughout a state, the costs would be even more enormous. These cost implications require that prior to conducting the research, its designers undertake a cost-benefit analysis(Titler , 2011). This analysis would entail comparing the total monetary cost of undertaking and applying the findings of the research with the total monetized benefits arising from the application of those findings. If benefits outweigh costs, then the project is worth pursuing. Otherwise, it should be abandoned. The major shortcoming of this model is that not all benefits can be quantified in monetary terms(Titler , 2011). For instance, suppose the applications of the findings lead to improved well-being. The process of expressing well-being in monetary terms is difficult. Still, not all benefits are monetizable. For instance, suppose a hospital hired more nurses in line with the prescriptions of the research. As a result, a customer who used to spend two hours at the hospital now spends thirty minutes because there are more nurses to attend to patients. The customer is happy that now they get to save one and a half hours every time they visit the hospital. Now, expressing happiness in monetary terms is virtually impossible. Conclusion Translational science or research is concerned with taking basic science findings and applying them to practical use. Whereas there are several approaches to translational research, the interest of this paper has been the implementation and testing of system changes approach. It has been seen that whereas theorists present the implementation of findings as a linear process in practice it is not. Instead, the process entails the flow of information back and forth among researchers, regulators and practitioners. The findings must be seen to be objective and credible if practitioners are to be persuaded to embrace then into their practices. In addition, it is compulsory to assess the costs and benefits if the project prior to embarking on it. References Grady, P. (2010). Translational research and nursing science. Nursing Outlook, 58(3), 164-166. Padilha, M. I. (2011). Translational Research: What is its Importance to Nursing Practice? Texto and Contexto Journal of Nursing, 20 (3), 121-122. Titler, M. (2011). The Evidence for Evidence-Based Practice Implementation. In A. f. Quality, Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses, Volume 1 (pp. 1-49). Washington, DC: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Read More