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Revisiting time to translation: implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in cancer control

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Abstract

Purpose

Previous studies estimate translation of research evidence into practice takes 17 years. However, this estimate is not specific to cancer control evidence-based practices (EBPs), nor do these studies evaluate variation in the translational process. We examined the translational pathway of cancer control EBPs.

Methods

We selected five cancer control EBPs where data on uptake were readily available. Years from landmark publication to clinical guideline issuance to implementation, defined as 50% uptake, were measured. The translational pathway for each EBP was mapped and an average total time across EBPs was calculated.

Results

Five cancer control EBPs were included: mammography, clinicians’ advice to quit smoking, colorectal cancer screening, HPV co-testing, and HPV vaccination. Time from publication to implementation ranged from 13 to 21 years, averaging 15 years. Time from publication to guideline issuance ranged from 3 to 17 years, and from guideline issuance to implementation, − 4 to 12 years. Clinician’s advice to quit smoking, HPV co-testing, and HPV vaccination were most rapidly implemented; colorectal cancer screening and mammography were slowest to implement.

Conclusion

The average time to implementation was 15 years for the five EBPs we evaluated, a marginal improvement from prior findings. Although newer EBPs such as HPV vaccination and HPV co-testing were faster to implement than other EBPs, continued efforts in implementation science to speed research to practice are needed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Paul Doria-Rose, Kathy Helzlsouer, Hormuz Katki, Sarah Kobrin, and Bob Vollinger. The views expressed in this manuscript reflect those of the authors and not the official statements of the NIH/NCI.

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Not applicable.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20006, USA

    Shahnaz Khan

  2. Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA

    Shahnaz Khan, David Chambers & Gila Neta

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  1. Shahnaz Khan
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  2. David Chambers
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  3. Gila Neta
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by SK and GN. The first draft of the manuscript was written by SK and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Shahnaz Khan.

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Appendix

Appendix

See Table 1.

Table 1 comparing rate of uptake between HEDIS and CTPR
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Khan, S., Chambers, D. & Neta, G. Revisiting time to translation: implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in cancer control. Cancer Causes Control 32, 221–230 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-020-01376-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-020-01376-z

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