Research to Reality (R2R) Mentorship Program

Abstract

Despite a wealth of intervention research in cancer control, full integration of evidence-based interventions into practice often fails, at least in part because of inadequate collaboration between practitioners and researchers. The National Cancer Institute piloted a mentorship program designed for practitioners to improve their ability to navigate evidence-based decision making within a context of inadequate resources, political barriers, and organizational constraints. The National Cancer Institute simultaneously sought to provide opportunities for practitioners and researchers to share and learn from each other. We identified four key successes and challenges related to translation as experienced by mentees: (a) establishing and maintaining partnerships, (b) data collection and analysis, (c) navigating context, and (d) program adaptation and evaluation. Mentorship programs have the potential to facilitate increased and more successful integration of evidence-based interventions into practice by promoting and building the capacity for collaborative decision making and generating in-depth understanding of the translation barriers and successes as well as strategies to address the complex contextual issues relative to implementation.

Research to Reality: Moving Evidence Into Practice Through an Online Community of Practice

“…This pilot program was designed to build the capacity of cancer control practitioners to effectively navigate the complex, “real world” context (eg, inadequate resources, political barriers, organizational constraints) in which evidence-based decision making occurs. Through the website, R2R community members followed 6 mentor-mentee pairs through monthly storyboards that highlighted their progress as they implemented evidence-based programs in their communities (17). Community members asked questions of the mentors and mentees and in several cases added their own encouragement and reflections.…”

Partnering with Health Care Systems to Assess Tobacco Treatment Practices and Beliefs Among Clinicians: Evaluating the Process

“…The R2R mentorship program pairs experienced public health professionals (mentors) with mid-level cancer prevention and control managers (mentees) to build mentees’ capacity to effectively navigate the complexities in which evidence-based intervention occurs. With the mentor’s expertise, and training from the NCI, the TCI mentee planned a year-long cancer prevention and control project relevant to the TCI program to enhance and apply the mentee’s skills and knowledge of evidence-based public health (18). The objectives of the R2R project were to 1) conduct a pre-intervention assessment of tobacco treatment practices and beliefs among clinicians in the HCSD and 2) engage HCSD clinicians to obtain their perspectives on adherence to the Guideline by using an electronic survey.…”

Building Cancer Control Capacity: a Mixed-Method Evaluation of the Research to Reality (R2R) Mentorship Program

“…In 2011, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) launched the Research to Reality (R2R) Pilot Mentorship Program (the Program) to enhance mentees’ core evidence-based public health (EBPH) competencies (9,10) through 3 primary program components: 1) mentorship and mentee projects, 2) training and support, and 3) online community platform (Figure). A complete description of the Program is available elsewhere (10). …”