Why is so much clinical research ignored and what can we do about it?

Abstract

Key points Research evidence from clinical trials is not being translated into clinical practice in a timely manner and this represents an enormous waste of resources and missed opportunities. Trials do not publish information about the context in which the intervention was implemented to allow the results to be transferred beyond the trial setting. Health care professionals need contextual information to be able to make the judgement ‘will it work in my setting?’ The outcome detected in the trial could be the treatment, elements of the context, the research process or a combination of all three. Context is recognised as important but there is poor conceptualisation and no agreed definition. Funding into methodological research is urgently required to address this problem and to stop wasting up to 85% of research investment.