127 Translational science must connect the dots from output to impact

Abstract

Objectives/Goals: Despite efforts to support healthcare researchers to navigate translational gaps and achieve health impact, impact remains rare. We were interested in determining whether, when, and how researchers were taking actions to optimize the translational potential and impact of their research. We also wanted to identify ways to support optimization. Methods/Study Population: Our sample was drawn from Tufts CTSI’s annual outcomes survey respondents (2017–2022) and included tufts principal investigators who had at least one project that reported an outcome (e.g., publication, presentation, funding application, research products, intellectual property protection, and implementation) on the survey. We excluded individuals no longer based at Tufts, no longer working in research, and holding a non-leadership role in their research. We drew a random sample of 58 researchers from the database. Of these, 11 (19%) were excluded, 32 (55%) did not respond to our invitation, 3 (5%) declined to take part, and 12 (21%) were interviewed. The study was approved by Tufts IRB and semi-structured interviews were recorded via Zoom, transcribed in full, and analyzed using the qualitative software Dedoose. Results/Anticipated Results: We interviewed 12 participants, both male (5) and female (7), from 11 different fields, working in preclinical (2), clinical (6), and public health (4) research at assistant (3), associate (5), and full professor (4) rank. There was variety in the way that researchers conceptualized and anticipated pathways to impact. While researchers almost always described their motivation as connected to improved patient care, their ideas of impact were commonly described as research products or outputs, and there was little attention to planning and executing for real-world use. Researchers spoke about challenges related to competing career demands, institutional barriers, organizational culture, and lack of connections. Strategies to address these challenges included mentorship, collaboration, and policy work. Discussion/Significance of Impact: The disconnect between researchers’ ideas of output and impact was notable, and while researchers sometimes mentioned dissemination via publications and committees, use of dissemination and implementation frameworks were very infrequent. Fragmented approaches and implementation science gaps remain significant barriers to health impact.