Journal of Clinical and Translational Science最新文献

{"title":"Engagement of dentists and patients in underserved rural and dental health provider shortage areas by the national dental practice-based network.","authors":"Ellen Funkhouser, Wei Lyu, Joana Cunha-Cruz, Rahma Mungia, Gregg H Gilbert","doi":"10.1017/cts.2026.10721","DOIUrl":"10.1017/cts.2026.10721","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>National clinical studies improve generalizability when they enroll participants from geographically underserved areas. We assessed representativeness of dentists and patients in the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (\"Network\") by comparing them to national benchmarks for rural/urban and underserved classifications.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Analyses compared rural status using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes and Health Provider Shortage Areas (HPSA), practitioner data from the Network's Enrollment Questionnaire and the American Community Survey (ACS), and patient data from Network clinical studies and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The network has similar proportions of dentists in rural areas compared to national estimates from the ACS (8.5% in Network vs. 8.2% nationally) and comparable proportions in HPSA (76.8% in Network vs. 84.0% nationally). The Network's proportion of patients living in rural areas (33.7%) is much higher than that of Network practitioners (8.5%), and higher than that of the US \"dental\" population overall from the BRFSS (20.5%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The Network not only is effective at engaging a broad dentist base but also engages a comparably higher proportion of rural patients, a group that is often underrepresented in clinical research. BRFSS respondents are a more-selective subset of the population because they report a recent dental visit, yet the Network exceeded even this benchmark in rural representation.</p>","PeriodicalId":15529,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Clinical and Translational Science","volume":"10 1","pages":"e59"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13058759/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147645607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transforming patient recruitment in clinical trials: Communication training to manage uncertainties about risks and benefits.","authors":"Ekaterina Malova, Xiaofeng Jia, Rutendo E Chimbaru, Tyler R Harrison, Kallia O Wright, Hanna Birenbaum Cooper, Susan E Morgan","doi":"10.1017/cts.2026.10725","DOIUrl":"10.1017/cts.2026.10725","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Effective communication of risks and benefits is essential to ethical clinical trial recruitment, yet clinical research coordinators (CRCs) often lack formal training in how to navigate participant uncertainty. This study examined whether targeted communication training could enhance CRCs' ability to disclose risks and benefits clearly and ethically.</p><p><strong>Approach or design: </strong>A mixed-methods, pre-post design compared CRCs who received communication training with those in a control group.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>Standardized patient (SP) interactions simulating clinical trial recruitment conversations.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>Twenty-four CRCs participated across intervention and control groups.</p><p><strong>Intervention: </strong>A communication training program grounded, focusing on transparent disclosure, benefit framing, and participant engagement strategies.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Qualitative content analysis of SP interaction transcripts guided by uncertainty management theory examined risk disclosure, mitigation strategies, benefit framing, and engagement. Frequency analysis tracked changes in the number and specificity of risk/benefit mentions over time.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>CRCs in the intervention group demonstrated more structured and transparent risk disclosure, greater use of participant-centered benefit framing, and improved interpersonal engagement. Frequency analysis showed significant increases in both the number and specificity of risk and benefit mentions post-training. Control group CRCs showed minimal change.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Targeted communication training enhances CRCs' ability to manage participant uncertainty, improving both ethical standards and informed consent quality in clinical trial recruitment.</p>","PeriodicalId":15529,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Clinical and Translational Science","volume":"10 1","pages":"e58"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13058756/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147645596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a short-form balance recovery confidence (SF-BRC) scale.","authors":"Shawn Leng-Hsien Soh, Chong Wei Ang, Clarice Zi Ying Chan, Rizka Xiang Ling Goh, Jun Jie Kuoh, Zhi Yun Lim, Hazel Xu Teng Ting, Jiaying Ho, Rumpa Boonsinsukh, Karl Martin Sattelmayer","doi":"10.1017/cts.2026.10723","DOIUrl":"10.1017/cts.2026.10723","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Identifying confidence in recovering balance following destabilizing events is essential for helping older adults prevent falls. However, existing measures primarily assess balance confidence. The Balance Recovery Confidence (BRC) scale was developed to address this gap, but its length may limit clinical feasibility. This study aimed to develop and validate a Short-Form Balance Recovery Confidence (SF-BRC) scale that retains the psychometric integrity of the original version while improving practicality.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional dataset comprising 309 older adults (≥ 65 years) was analyzed. Exploratory factor analysis using unweighted least squares extraction on polychoric correlations was conducted to determine the underlying factor structure. Confirmatory factor analysis using the weighted least squares mean and variance adjusted (WLSMV) estimator evaluated model fit. Rasch modeling assessed item fit, item difficulty, and person separation reliability. Criterion and convergent validity were examined through correlations with the original BRC, Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC), and Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) scales.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The final 7-item SF-BRC demonstrated a unidimensional structure with excellent model fit (CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.02). Internal consistency was high (<i>α</i> = 0.94), and Rasch person separation reliability was 0.93. Criterion validity with the full BRC was strong (<i>r</i> = 0.99), while convergent validity with ABC and FES-I scales was moderate, supporting theoretical distinctiveness of the construct.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The SF-BRC is a psychometrically robust instrument for assessing BRC. Its strong reliability and practical utility support its use in rehabilitation, fall prevention, and community-based settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":15529,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Clinical and Translational Science","volume":"10 1","pages":"e61"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13058753/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147645652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Implementation and early outcomes of a team science consultation service: Addressing key challenges in translational research collaborations.","authors":"Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, Sheila Marie O'Byrne, Kayla Zalcgendler, Zainab Abedin, Harley Lynch, Michelle McClave, Rachel C Shelton, Michael Rosenbaum, Harold Pincus, Muredach P Reilly, Daichi Shimbo","doi":"10.1017/cts.2026.10708","DOIUrl":"10.1017/cts.2026.10708","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/objective: </strong>Team science, defined as scientific collaboration across disciplines and knowledge domains, has become essential for translational research, yet teams face recurrent challenges that can impede progress and are often difficult to overcome without additional support. We describe the implementation and initial outcomes of our Team Advice and Consultation Service (TACS), a program designed to address team science challenges at a research-intensive academic medical center engaged in translational science across a broad range of disciplines.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Grounded in Knowledge-to-Action framework and Transdisciplinary Innovation theory, TACS provides tailored, case-specific support across the team lifecycle.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Through thematic analysis of consultations with seven teams (2023-2024), we identified five recurrent challenge domains: organization/structural complexity, team leadership and management, team dynamics and communication, authorship and credit allocation, and conflict resolution.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings underscore the value of structured support for team science and provide insights and potential strategies for institutions seeking to implement similar services.</p>","PeriodicalId":15529,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Clinical and Translational Science","volume":"10 1","pages":"e68"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13107069/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147772891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Applying a process mapping methodology to identify barriers and facilitators to social needs screener and medical-legal partnership integration into primary care facilities.","authors":"Jamelia D Graham, Jennifer L Kraschnewski, Sophia Allen, Medha Makhlouf, Nehath Sheriff, Josheili Llavona-Ortiz, William A Calo","doi":"10.1017/cts.2026.10705","DOIUrl":"10.1017/cts.2026.10705","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Primary care providers understand the importance of collecting social needs screener (SNS) information from patients. Gathering this information permits more comprehensive, patient-centered care plans and allows primary care settings to serve as a hub where patients can receive resources and referrals to address their social needs. Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) are a legal intervention that can also connect patients to social services. However, barriers exist that prevent full integration of SNS and MLPs. This study aims to understand how best to integrate SNS and MLPs into primary care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), an idealized process map and semi-structured interview guide were developed to facilitate interviews with primary care providers. The process map included four \"swim lanes,\" including planning, patient-provider interaction, referrals, and MLPs. Eleven primary care providers from three different health systems were interviewed in January-March 2025. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and data were coded inductively.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eleven themes were identified from the interviews, including review and adaptation of SNS should be regular, involvement of providers and staff is necessary for SNS integration, cross-disciplinary training, physical space, and information technology is needed to promote MLP, and identification of local resources for social need referrals is critical for providers' buy-in. These themes were matched to constructs from CFIR.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>SNS and MLPs can be integrated into the clinical workflow, but external factors may negate the impacts of SNS success and MLP referrals. By addressing the barriers identified using implementation strategies, integration of SNS and MLPs into primary care can be more feasible.</p>","PeriodicalId":15529,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Clinical and Translational Science","volume":"10 1","pages":"e52"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13040392/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147608943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Use of advance letters to enhance participant retention in a clinical trial.","authors":"Sarah Cook, Meghan Mayhew, Sarah Nelson, P Suzanne Aycock, Consuelo Wilkins, Paul A Harris, Lynn DeBar","doi":"10.1017/cts.2026.10704","DOIUrl":"10.1017/cts.2026.10704","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In randomized clinical trials, participant retention is critical to ensure the validity and unbiased interpretation of study results. Within a multisite trial of individuals with high impact chronic pain, we explored whether a letter mailed in advance of follow-up study assessments at 3-, 6-, and 12-months from randomization improved participant retention. 4063 advance letters were mailed to 2037 participants at least once throughout their study participation. Increases in participant retention and follow-up assessment rates were observed across all study groups, sites, and timepoints. Mailing a letter in advance of follow-up study assessments in this randomized clinical trial improved participant retention.</p>","PeriodicalId":15529,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Clinical and Translational Science","volume":"10 1","pages":"e50"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13040391/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147609034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Building implementation science capacity: Adaptation of I-Corps™@NCATS training for rapid fit-to-context discovery and designing for scale-up and sustainability.","authors":"Elaine H Morrato, Michael Bloom, Merly Thomas, Matthew Rivera, Nallely Mora","doi":"10.1017/cts.2026.10691","DOIUrl":"10.1017/cts.2026.10691","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs must advance implementation science via innovative approaches to understand and develop strategies for overcoming barriers to the adoption, adaptation, integration, scale-up, and sustainability of evidence-based interventions, tools, policies, and guidelines. This special communication describes adaption of the I-Corps™@NCATS training program, a Lean Start-Up approach developed to advance commercialization of academic innovation, as a mechanism for building implementation science capacity at the Institute for Translational Medicine, a Chicago-based multi-institutional CTSA hub. Results from seven training cohorts (2021-2025) are presented (43 teams, 157 participants). In this five-week experiential program, teams conducted \"customer discovery\" interviews with stakeholders (mean = 23.8/team, SD = 5.6) to rapidly assess fit-to-context of their innovation and adoption requirements. Likelihood of recommending the program to a colleague was high (8.9, SD = 1.5; 1-10 scale, where \"10\" = \"extremely likely\"). Important adaptations were providing non-commercial use cases; defining \"customers\" in terms of stakeholders and partners; reframing commercial business model goals in terms of designing-for-dissemination-and-sustainability; and showing how the value proposition hypothesis is analogous to a research hypothesis being tested and validated with \"customer discovery\" data. Findings support that the modified I-Corps@NCATS training program provides flexible translational science skill-building to advance implementation science capacity among clinical and translational researchers.</p>","PeriodicalId":15529,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Clinical and Translational Science","volume":"10 1","pages":"e56"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13040300/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147608946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A critical juncture: Integrating large language models in biostatistical workflows.","authors":"Vihaan Sahu","doi":"10.1017/cts.2026.10713","DOIUrl":"10.1017/cts.2026.10713","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15529,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Clinical and Translational Science","volume":"10 1","pages":"e47"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12975622/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147443982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engaging patients and researchers in RECOVER clinical trial protocol development: Key lessons.","authors":"Renee Leverty, Sonya Sutton, Charnesia Jackson, Marta Cerda, Alain Chang, Kanecia Zimmerman","doi":"10.1017/cts.2026.10702","DOIUrl":"10.1017/cts.2026.10702","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The RECOVER Clinical Trials Protocol Working Groups (PWGs) were established to rapidly design trials addressing Long COVID by incorporating the complementary expertise of researchers, clinicians, and patients, caregivers, and community representatives (Representatives). This paper explores the engagement of Representatives in protocol development, highlighting their contributions, challenges faced, and lessons learned. A survey of PWG members revealed that while most Representatives felt their input was valued, gaps in role clarity, communication, and integration of feedback persisted. Representatives emphasized the importance of understanding patient burden and lived experience, while researchers and project leaders noted the value of inclusive perspectives. Findings underscore the need for structured engagement practices, clear expectations, and ongoing support to ensure meaningful participation. These insights offer a roadmap for future clinical trial networks seeking to integrate patient voices in research design.</p>","PeriodicalId":15529,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Clinical and Translational Science","volume":"10 1","pages":"e49"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13058755/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147645601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cooperative extension and academic departments partnership: Translating nutrition science messages to diverse audiences.","authors":"Olivia Lawler, Gail D'Souza, Travis Masterson, Mary Alice Gettings, Kristina Petersen, Amy Moore, Penny Kris-Etherton","doi":"10.1017/cts.2026.10710","DOIUrl":"10.1017/cts.2026.10710","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cooperative Extension provides research-based outreach to the public, making it a valuable resource for translation scientists. Herein, we describe a collaboration between Cooperative Extension and the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University that resulted in widespread dissemination of novel nutrition education materials. Short videos (3 to 5 minutes each) for the public, healthcare professionals and patients focused on using spices and herbs (S&H) to decrease sodium, saturated fat (SFA), and added sugars, and improve diet quality were developed and evaluated. The videos were effective in improving knowledge about S&H, intent to use them, and making healthy diet changes.</p>","PeriodicalId":15529,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Clinical and Translational Science","volume":"10 1","pages":"e44"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12975616/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147444036","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}