From Scurvy to Social Media: Why Healthcare Innovations Take a Tortoise's Pace (and How to Speed Things Up)
"Unraveling the mystery of slow progress in healthcare adoption—lessons from history and a call to action for faster change."
One of the most persistent challenges in healthcare is the time it takes for research findings to translate into everyday practice. It’s often estimated that it takes around 17 years for evidence to become mainstream. But why does it take so long, and why are some innovations adopted quickly while others languish for decades?
Think of it as a race between the hare and the tortoise. Some breakthroughs, like the impact of the Term Breech Trial on vaginal breech births, are adopted almost overnight. Others, like the recognition of the importance of midwifery continuity of care, crawl along despite strong evidence. This raises a critical question: How can we ensure that valuable research doesn't get stuck in the slow lane?
To understand this challenge, let's look back at a historical example. In 1749, James Lind, a Scottish surgeon in the Royal Navy, conducted an experiment demonstrating that citrus fruits could treat scurvy. His findings were published in 1753, but it took another sixty years before the Admiralty recommended that lemon juice be routinely issued to the entire fleet. Sixty years! What caused this delay, and what lessons can we learn from it?
The Tortoise and the Hare: A Tale of Two Speeds
The story of scurvy highlights a common theme in healthcare: evidence alone is not enough to drive change. Lind's discovery was initially met with skepticism because the prevailing belief was that scurvy was a disease of putrefaction. This illustrates how existing beliefs and biases can hinder the acceptance of new evidence, even when it's based on rigorous research.
- Clear and Immediate Benefit: The Term Breech Trial presented a seemingly clear-cut solution to a perceived problem.
- Reduced Risk (Perceived): Caesarean sections were often seen as a safer alternative to vaginal breech births, even though subsequent research has challenged this assumption.
- Alignment with Existing Preferences: The trial's findings aligned with a growing trend toward more interventional approaches in childbirth.
Bridging the Gap: A Call to Action for Faster Change
So, how can we accelerate the translation of evidence into practice? The key lies in addressing the challenges on multiple levels. We need to plan for implementation from the outset of our research, engage with women as consumers and end-users, and collaborate with providers, policymakers, and health service leaders. By working together, we can identify roadblocks, find champions, and monitor progress to ensure that valuable innovations reach those who need them most. The challenge is clear: let’s transform healthcare, one tortoise into a hare, and ensure the best possible outcomes for mothers and babies in all settings.