G.-M. Pomann is assistant professor and director, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Methods Core, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6324-3953 .
T. Truong is a senior biostatistician, assistant director of BERD Core, and lead BERD navigator, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5923-4037 .
Acad Med. 2023 Aug 1;98(8):889-895. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000005212. Epub 2023 Mar 17.
Translational research is a data-driven process that involves transforming scientific laboratory- and clinic-based discoveries into products and activities with real-world impact to improve individual and population health. Successful execution of translational research requires collaboration between clinical and translational science researchers, who have expertise in a wide variety of domains across the field of medicine, and qualitative and quantitative scientists, who have specialized methodologic expertise across diverse methodologic domains. While many institutions are working to build networks of these specialists, a formalized process is needed to help researchers navigate the network to find the best match and to track the navigation process to evaluate an institution's unmet collaborative needs. In 2018, a novel analytic resource navigation process was developed at Duke University to connect potential collaborators, leverage resources, and foster a community of researchers and scientists. This analytic resource navigation process can be readily adopted by other academic medical centers. The process relies on navigators with broad qualitative and quantitative methodologic knowledge, strong communication and leadership skills, and extensive collaborative experience. The essential elements of the analytic resource navigation process are as follows: (1) strong institutional knowledge of methodologic expertise and access to analytic resources, (2) deep understanding of research needs and methodologic expertise, (3) education of researchers on the role of qualitative and quantitative scientists in the research project, and (4) ongoing evaluation of the analytic resource navigation process to inform improvements. Navigators help researchers determine the type of expertise needed, search the institution to find potential collaborators with that expertise, and document the process to evaluate unmet needs. Although the navigation process can create a basis for an effective solution, some challenges remain, such as having resources to train navigators, comprehensively identifying all potential collaborators, and keeping updated information about resources as methodologists join and leave the institution.
转化研究是一个数据驱动的过程，它将科学实验室和临床基础发现转化为具有实际影响的产品和活动，以改善个体和人群的健康。转化研究的成功执行需要临床和转化科学研究人员之间的合作，他们在医学领域的各个领域都具有专业知识，以及定性和定量科学家，他们在不同的方法学领域都具有专业方法学知识。虽然许多机构都在努力建立这些专家的网络，但需要一个正式的流程来帮助研究人员在网络中找到最佳匹配，并跟踪导航过程，以评估机构未满足的合作需求。2018 年，杜克大学开发了一种新颖的分析资源导航流程，以连接潜在的合作者，利用资源，并培养研究人员和科学家社区。这种分析资源导航流程可以很容易地被其他学术医疗中心采用。该流程依赖于具有广泛定性和定量方法学知识、强大沟通和领导能力以及丰富合作经验的导航员。分析资源导航流程的基本要素如下：（1）对方法学专业知识和分析资源的深入了解，（2）对研究需求和方法学专业知识的深刻理解，（3）对研究人员进行定性和定量科学家在研究项目中的作用的教育，以及（4）对分析资源导航流程的持续评估，以提供改进信息。导航员帮助研究人员确定所需的专业知识类型，在机构内部搜索具有该专业知识的潜在合作者，并记录流程，以评估未满足的需求。尽管导航流程可以为有效的解决方案奠定基础，但仍存在一些挑战，例如培训导航员的资源、全面识别所有潜在合作者，以及随着方法学家加入和离开机构，保持资源信息的更新。
