242 Demonstrating health equity and public health impacts of translational science at the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC) of Northern Ohio: A mixed-methods approach using the Translational Science Benefits Model

Abstract

Objectives/Goals: The Translational Science Benefits Model (TSBM) offers a key framework for demonstrating the real-world health outcomes of research. This study uses a mixed-methods approach combined with the TSBM to show how researchers from Case Western Reserve University’s Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC) have advanced health equity or improved public health in the USA and globally. Methods/Study Population: Using the TSBM indicators, we surveyed 72 former CTSC KL2 Program trainees and 469 CTSC Pilot Program awardees for documented evidence that their research led to demonstrated health benefits. We used purposive sampling of the survey responses to obtain examples highlighting research that led to advances in health equity as well as international public health improvements. We conducted in-depth interviews with six investigators to assess the populations impacted and the scope of their contributions. For each investigator, we examined how their publications informed both national and international policy. Through this approach, we will present specific case studies highlighting research that led to advances in health equity as well as international examples of public health improvements. Results/Anticipated Results: Among KL2 Scholars, we achieved a 40% response rate (29/72), with 90% (26/29) reporting 86 significant benefits across the four TSBM areas. For Pilot Program awardees, 18.5% responded (87/469), with 40% documenting 136 benefits. Several different types of translational science benefits resulted in improved health and health equity for several diverse national and international beneficiaries, including racial and ethnic minorities (e.g., Blacks, Hispanics), potentially vulnerable populations (e.g., pregnant women, victims of intimate partner violence, individuals on Medicaid, infants), international populations (e.g., people from low-resource countries with genetic disorders or parasitic infections), as well as people from rural areas and professions at high risk of developing cancer. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Leveraging KL2 and Pilot Grant successes, the TSBM shows how research improves public health and health equity for underserved populations. It streamlines outcome reporting, enabling researchers to demonstrate their societal impact while providing funders and policymakers with clear, data-driven evidence of the value of translational science.