Patient Advocate: Translational medicine

[leelaplay]

Translational medicine
This is a catchy term. It is a bit difficult to understand the full ramifications of what it means. Certainly one of the hallmarks of this term is the non-ego based sharing of information. The Patient Advocate took an interest in a front page article in the NYTimes this morning.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/13/health/research/13alzheimer.html?ref=health


From what the Patient Advocate can understand, this article lays out, in a parallel field, what the Whittemore Peterson Institute is going to accomplish.

 

[Sasha]

Fascinating - thanks for posting this, Shrewsbury. Really inspiring.

 

[Hope123]

"Translational Medicine" generally refers more to how research findings can be "translated" into clinical care. The issue at hand is that a fair amount of basic research happens in the labs but little of it actually translates to tests/ treatments that healthcare staff can use. Obviously some of this is limited by the trial-and-error process that is a natural part of science but there are also other factors, such as basic scientists not communicating with healthcare staff and vice versa about what each party needs. A second piece is that even when the research is solid, like in some areas of high blood pressure or diabetes care, there are obstacles in place that prevent it from being implemented -- e.g. insurance, health care systems, money, etc.

 

[muffin]

Interesting. Data sharing with CFS/ME is a problem. But a greater problem, it seems to me and other ultra smart people, is getting that medical research down into the clinical arena and into the hands of the doctors who must diagnose and treat. Now, how is that to be done?

Great thoughts HOPE123!!!!!