Translating Evidence Into Practice: Why Is It So Difficult?

Health and social care research in the UK into policy and practice often leads the world in terms of methodological development and empirical application. However, translating evidence into practice requires radical changes in the behaviour of the producers of evidence (for example academics) and even more importantly in the users of evidence. Policy-makers and practitioners lack the skills and incentives to access and apply evidence. This reflects their poor training and incentives that induce a focus on tactics rather than strategy. Academics need to use robust quantitative methods and acquire insulation from the siren calls of commercially-induced bias.