Why is Translational Medicine needed?
The primary goal of Translational Medicine (TM) is to ensure that scientific discoveries become tangible social benefits as quickly and efficiently as possible—especially in patient care.
The challenge: scientific findings rarely reach everyday practice
Today only a fraction of scientific knowledge finds its way into routine medical practice, which has serious consequences. According to Eurostat, 1.7 million people under the age of 75 died in Europe in 2016, and about 1.2 million of these deaths could have been prevented through more effective prevention and public-health interventions.
A European response: the TM-cycle model
Responding to this challenge, the Academia Europaea—one of Europe’s largest scientific networks and a member of SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies)—launched a project in 2018 with the aim of developing a model approach for the societal uptake of scientific results.
Leading researchers, directors of translational centres, editors of high-impact journals, university and communication experts jointly created the TM-cycle—a three-pillar model that can place translational medicine on a new footing:
- 1. Scientific knowledge generation – encouraging research relevant to healthcare
- 2. Comprehensible summary – formulating results in clear, accessible language
- 3. Effective communication – delivering scientific messages in a targeted way to all stakeholders: physicians, decision-makers, their patients and society at large
The result: more effective, accessible and sustainable healthcare
This change in perspective can contribute to real, measurable improvements in healthcare delivery—making it more effective, more accessible and more cost-efficient.