Developing a stakeholder-informed social responsibility model for translational science.

Innovation in biomedical research has increased markedly over the last few decades. However, clinical, therapeutic, and public health advances have often not yielded expected improvements in health outcomes nor reduced disparities. Translational science was developed to improve social benefits relat...

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Main Authors: Elise M R Smith, Georgia Loutrianakis, Kimberly Beatty, Krista Bohn, Kathryn A Cunningham, Sharon Croisant, Jeffrey S Farroni, Micheal Gienger, Dominique Guinn, Jometra Hawkins-Sneed, Sondip Mathur, Victoria McNamara, Marnina Miller, Stephen Molldrem, Kimberly Pounds, Vishnu Subrahmanyam, Emma Tumilty, Grace A Loudd
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320956
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author Elise M R Smith
Georgia Loutrianakis
Kimberly Beatty
Krista Bohn
Kathryn A Cunningham
Sharon Croisant
Jeffrey S Farroni
Micheal Gienger
Dominique Guinn
Jometra Hawkins-Sneed
Sondip Mathur
Victoria McNamara
Marnina Miller
Stephen Molldrem
Kimberly Pounds
Vishnu Subrahmanyam
Emma Tumilty
Grace A Loudd
author_facet Elise M R Smith
Georgia Loutrianakis
Kimberly Beatty
Krista Bohn
Kathryn A Cunningham
Sharon Croisant
Jeffrey S Farroni
Micheal Gienger
Dominique Guinn
Jometra Hawkins-Sneed
Sondip Mathur
Victoria McNamara
Marnina Miller
Stephen Molldrem
Kimberly Pounds
Vishnu Subrahmanyam
Emma Tumilty
Grace A Loudd
author_sort Elise M R Smith
collection DOAJ
description Innovation in biomedical research has increased markedly over the last few decades. However, clinical, therapeutic, and public health advances have often not yielded expected improvements in health outcomes nor reduced disparities. Translational science was developed to improve social benefits related to research and development. We propose a practical model for socially responsible translational science that aims to better align research with its expected social benefits. Scientists and community members from the Houston-Galveston region participated in 12 focus groups and a one-day Deliberative Dialogue Summit to examine the expected social benefits of science, establish the factors and practices of social responsibility, and design an empirical model for socially responsible translational science. Researchers and community members discussed three distinct fields of research - HIV, maternal health, and mental health and substance use disorders. We conducted deductive qualitative data analysis based on theoretical social responsibility criteria of translational science, namely: relevance, usability, and sustainability. We then developed inductive codes to capture the factors and practices identified during discussions as necessary for the translation of research to increase social benefit. First, participants explored ways to broaden the scope of biomedical research beyond a narrow emphasis on scientific impact to also consider social impacts and determinants of health; this heightens the relevance of research and underscores its responsibility to address social needs and reduce inequities. Second, to improve usability of translational research, participants suggested increasing access to research products, processes, and participation. They also recommended modifying the research infrastructure to incorporate other systems that can assist with translation including the system of care and the broader community-based systems. Third and finally, for the long-term sustainability of research practices, co-development and co-funding of research was promoted to include local community needs, cultures, knowledges and preferences from project commencement to completion.
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spelling doaj-art-5aa67645ccb64eaaace652271f2826422025-08-20T02:39:34ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01206e032095610.1371/journal.pone.0320956Developing a stakeholder-informed social responsibility model for translational science.Elise M R SmithGeorgia LoutrianakisKimberly BeattyKrista BohnKathryn A CunninghamSharon CroisantJeffrey S FarroniMicheal GiengerDominique GuinnJometra Hawkins-SneedSondip MathurVictoria McNamaraMarnina MillerStephen MolldremKimberly PoundsVishnu SubrahmanyamEmma TumiltyGrace A LouddInnovation in biomedical research has increased markedly over the last few decades. However, clinical, therapeutic, and public health advances have often not yielded expected improvements in health outcomes nor reduced disparities. Translational science was developed to improve social benefits related to research and development. We propose a practical model for socially responsible translational science that aims to better align research with its expected social benefits. Scientists and community members from the Houston-Galveston region participated in 12 focus groups and a one-day Deliberative Dialogue Summit to examine the expected social benefits of science, establish the factors and practices of social responsibility, and design an empirical model for socially responsible translational science. Researchers and community members discussed three distinct fields of research - HIV, maternal health, and mental health and substance use disorders. We conducted deductive qualitative data analysis based on theoretical social responsibility criteria of translational science, namely: relevance, usability, and sustainability. We then developed inductive codes to capture the factors and practices identified during discussions as necessary for the translation of research to increase social benefit. First, participants explored ways to broaden the scope of biomedical research beyond a narrow emphasis on scientific impact to also consider social impacts and determinants of health; this heightens the relevance of research and underscores its responsibility to address social needs and reduce inequities. Second, to improve usability of translational research, participants suggested increasing access to research products, processes, and participation. They also recommended modifying the research infrastructure to incorporate other systems that can assist with translation including the system of care and the broader community-based systems. Third and finally, for the long-term sustainability of research practices, co-development and co-funding of research was promoted to include local community needs, cultures, knowledges and preferences from project commencement to completion.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320956
spellingShingle Elise M R Smith
Georgia Loutrianakis
Kimberly Beatty
Krista Bohn
Kathryn A Cunningham
Sharon Croisant
Jeffrey S Farroni
Micheal Gienger
Dominique Guinn
Jometra Hawkins-Sneed
Sondip Mathur
Victoria McNamara
Marnina Miller
Stephen Molldrem
Kimberly Pounds
Vishnu Subrahmanyam
Emma Tumilty
Grace A Loudd
Developing a stakeholder-informed social responsibility model for translational science.
PLoS ONE
title Developing a stakeholder-informed social responsibility model for translational science.
title_full Developing a stakeholder-informed social responsibility model for translational science.
title_fullStr Developing a stakeholder-informed social responsibility model for translational science.
title_full_unstemmed Developing a stakeholder-informed social responsibility model for translational science.
title_short Developing a stakeholder-informed social responsibility model for translational science.
title_sort developing a stakeholder informed social responsibility model for translational science
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320956
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