This is the final submission of an application for a K07 award for Dr. Dorie Apollonio, an Assistant Professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who is establishing herself as a new translational researcher. Her proposal focuses on efforts to use clinical research to support the creation of state policies mandating that smoking cessation therapy be available to ADM populations in treatment. This award will provide Dr. Apollonio with support necessary to achieve the goal of becoming an independent translational researcher experienced with all steps of the research translation process-clinical research generation, aggregation, and finally, its use by policy intermediaries-advocacy groups and journalists-who communicate these findings to policymakers. To achieve this goal, Dr. Apollonio has assembled a group of advisors including two primary mentors, Dr. Lisa Bero, Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, an expert in the creation of systematic reviews and in evidence-based medicine, and Dr. Ruth Malone, an expert in tobacco use in ADM populations. In addition, three co-mentors will provide expertise specific to each set of training activities and their associated aim; Dr. Neal Benowitz will share his knowledge of how clinical research is conducted, Dr. Daniel Dohan, will communicate his experience with qualitative research methods, and Dr. Laura Schmidt will provide training in developing behavioral interventions. In addition, she will work with four collaborators: Dr. Steven Schroeder and Dr. Joseph Guydish, who have been active with organizations seeking to implement smoking cessation therapy in mental health and substance abuse treatment centers, and Dr. Lisa Schwartz and Dr. Steven Woloshin, who have experience designing and evaluating educational interventions. Although clinical research often identifies effective public health interventions, many such interventions are not enacted into policy, leading to unnecessary death and disease. This problem is particularly acute in research on tobacco use, the leading preventable cause of cancer deaths in the United States, which disproportionately affects ADM populations. Dr. Apollonio's proposal will:
(Aim 1) assess the correspondence between research evidence and popular understanding of smoking cessation therapy in ADM populations;
(Aim 2) determine the means by which clinical researchers and policy intermediaries communicate scientific research findings;
and (Aim 3) design, pilot test and evaluate web-based educational interventions to encourage better communication between policy intermediaries and clinical researchers. This research will form the basis for an R01 application to refine and study the effectiveness of educational interventions as a means of improving research translation.
Although clinical research often identifies effective public health interventions, many such interventions are not enacted into policy, leading to unnecessary death and disease. Improved understanding of how clinical research is communicated to policymakers is critical to making smoking cessation therapy the standard of care in ADM populations and to reducing the burden of tobacco-related disease in individuals already suffering significant health disparities.
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