Reenvisioning Clinical Science: Unifying the Discipline to Improve the Public Health

Abstract

We present a vision of clinical science, based on a conceptual framework of intervention development endorsed by the Delaware Project. This framework is grounded in an updated stage model that incorporates basic science questions of mechanisms into every stage of clinical science research. The vision presented is intended to unify various aspects of clinical science toward the common goal of developing maximally potent and implementable interventions, while unveiling new avenues of science in which basic and applied goals are of equally high importance. Training in this integrated, translational model may help students learn how to conduct research in every domain of clinical science and at each stage of intervention development. This vision aims to propel the field to fulfill the public health goal of producing implementable and effective treatment and prevention interventions.

Keywords: implementation; intervention development; stage model; translation.

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared that they had no conflicts of interest with respect to their authorship or the publication of this article.

Figures

Fig. 1

NIH stage model: common and cautionary pathways. Note: Dotted arrow indicates the importance of using caution when considering this pathway.