Reverse Translation in Health Policy and Management: from Bedside to Bench and Beyond

• Published in: Health services research Vol. 40; no. 1; pp. 9 - 18
• Main Author: Blumenthal, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing 01.02.2005; Health Research and Educational Trust; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell Science Inc
• Subjects: Analysis; Care and treatment; Conferences, meetings and seminars; Cost control; Diffusion of Innovation; Employment policies; Evidence-Based Medicine; Government regulation; Health care industry; Health care policy; Health care reform; Health maintenance organizations; Health Policy; Health services; Health Services Research; Hospitals, Teaching - organization & administration; Hospitals, Teaching - standards; Humans; Internship and Residency - organization & administration; Internship and Residency - standards; Laws, regulations and rules; Medical technology; Organizational Policy; Patient care; Patients; Policy making; Quality Assurance, Health Care; Quality of service; Resource Allocation; Safety Management; Services; Technology application; United States; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 0017-9124; 1475-6773
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2005.00339.x

If there has been one enduring theme in the 21 research meetings of the Academy Health and its predecessor organizations, it is the importance of translating new knowledge into practice - the practice of policy makers, of managers, and of the millions of professionals who daily tend to the needs of the sick and the well throughout this country's vast health care system. This translational task is tough and important work. This paper, however, takes a different perspective on the translation challenge. It explores the equally important, but perhaps less recognized and discussed challenge of reversing the flow of knowledge, of moving insights from practice - in this case clinical practice - into the language and work of health services research and health policy making. In particular, this paper focuses on three areas of policy and management: workforce policy, safety, and quality; and cost and value management.