COMMENTARY

Research–practice gap

Bridging the gap between research and practice: a continuing challenge

S Mallonee¹, C Fowler² and G R Istre³

¹ Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
² Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Health and School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
³ Injury Prevention Center of Greater Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Ms S Mallonee
Oklahoma State Department of Health, 1000 NE 10th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73117-1299, USA;suem@health.ok.gov

Accepted 15 September 2006

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More commitment to deal with the research–practice gap

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The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

How best to put evidence into effective practice to achieve an intended reduction in morbidity, mortality or disability has long been an issue of concern in research on injury field. Research-to-practice gaps have always existed and progress in this subject has been slow. Factors that contribute to this problem include lapses in communication between researchers and practitioners, and service delivery issues such as lack of public awareness, poor financing and a non-supportive political atmosphere. Scientific publications of research on intervention effectiveness, which do not provide information useful for widescale public health dissemination, also add to the problem.¹ Additional issues cited by public health practitioners are that interventions may be too narrowly focused, complex, difficult and costly, or may not engage or meet the perceived needs of the community.^2–4 Once established, prevention programs must be sustained with adequate infrastructure and long-term intensity, requiring substantial resource investment.²

The process described . . . [Full text of this article]

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