From the Foundation
Why Good Research Is Not Enough
In recent issues, we explored how preventable harm occurs in clinical care and why scientific evidence must guide safer prescribing. Yet an equally important question remains: what happens when that evidence is never effectively communicated?
It is a common assumption that once a study is completed, the work is done. Many health studies end as “data in a drawer.” They are conducted, analysed, and written, but never published or shared in ways that allow others to use them.
Evidence cannot influence care if it is invisible. A well-designed study may offer a solution to a critical health problem, but if the clinician at the point of care is unaware of it, its impact is lost. The gap between research and practice is therefore not only about generating evidence, but about ensuring that it is accessible, understandable, and applied.
Closing this gap requires more than producing new knowledge. It requires strengthening how research is communicated, shared, and translated into real-world decision-making. Without this, even the best science remains disconnected from patient care.