Senior Associates at Bizzell Co-author NIDA Report on Improving Adolescent Health

According to numerous reports, it takes roughly 17 years [1] for research findings to find their way into routine clinical practice, depriving adults, and children of timely and effective therapeutic care. The improvement of adolescent health ultimately depends on access to timely research and scientific findings from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to better educate health care professionals, policymakers, adolescents, and their families. The “National Institute of Drug Abuse: Dissemination of Scientific Knowledge to Improve Adolescent Health” report spotlights NIDA’s vigorous efforts to accomplish the dissemination of evidence-based information achieved through varying approaches to diverse and targeted audiences; more specifically on substance use disorders (SUD) in the adolescent population.

The NIDA Clinical Trials Network Dissemination Initiative contract, held by Bizzell US, is overseen by co-authors Dr. Todd Mandell and Kenyatta Crenshaw. Within the report, the co-authors share evidence-based educational resources and materials developed to reduce the persistent gap between the publication of research findings on the treatment of SUDs and best practices for implementation and adoption in clinical practice. Dr. Mandell and Ms. Crenshaw also address the Mentor Facilitated Training Program (MFT), which is part of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network Dissemination Initiative contract. An overview of the MFT program is provided in the article, demonstrating how trainees in the field of substance use are encouraged to expand their depth of knowledge by the 1) identification of gaps in substance abuse training; and 2) dissemination of NIDA-sponsored, evidence-based resources/tools to their peers. The study was published in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North American Volume 32, Issue 1, January 2023.

“I would like to congratulate Dr. Mandell and Ms. Crenshaw, and the other contributing authors, on the publication of the report, the recommendations are another imperative step to ensuring that the dissemination and access to critical data and tools is widely accessible to the public health community” said Anton C. Bizzell, MD, Chairman & CEO of Bizzell.

[1] Morris ZS, Wooding S, Grant J. The answer is 17 years, what is the question: understanding time lags in translational research. J R Soc Med 2011;104(12): 510–20. Accessed December 14, 2021.

About Bizzell US

Established in 2010, Bizzell US is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) HUBZone-certified strategy, consulting, and technology firm with a mission to improve lives and accelerate change. Bizzell US develops innovative solutions to some of the most critical issues of our time such as health care services equity, global health, workforce innovation, and other urgent needs facing the world. Under the leadership and vision of founder, Anton C. Bizzell, MD, the company has grown into a thriving firm, headquartered in New Carrollton, Maryland, with staff and offices in various regions around the country, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Oklahoma, and Georgia, and globally in Africa, Asia, and Central America. Learn more about how we develop data-driven, research-informed, innovative solutions to complex, real-world challenges. Learn more at www.BizzellUS.com