Data & Translation Domain

The Data & Translation Domain leverages qualitative and quantitative methods to understand the factors that shape health outcomes and translates those insights into actionable knowledge, tools, and strategies that support research, healthcare, and community decision-making.​

Aims​

  • Understand the factors that influence health: Integrate and analyze social, environmental, and population data to identify patterns, needs, and opportunities to improve health outcomes. ​
  • Develop tools and methods that support decision-making: Create innovative data resources, technologies, and analytic approaches that help researchers, healthcare organizations, and communities make evidence-based decisions. ​
  • Translate data into action: Transform complex information into actionable knowledge and strategies that strengthen research, healthcare delivery, and community health efforts.​

Projects:

  1. SEED Health Atlas
    The SEED Health Atlas is an interactive tool and public resource for the Durham community and Duke researchers to learn about health in the area. Our goal is to enable anyone to learn more about what drives health in Durham and create positive investments in the health of our community.

    Built with support from Duke CTSI, the SEED Health Atlas is fully available to the public. Data are collected and published by researchers at Duke University.

  2. Special Populations Integration Recruitment Tool (SPIRiT)

    The Data and Translation Domain is currently developing a tool to advance participation in clinical research. The Special Populations Inclusion Recruitment Tool (SPIRiT) is a public-facing resource designed to help research teams maximize recruitment and retention of special populations in clinical research.

    Developed through collaboration and community engagement studios with researchers, community members, and clinical trial personnel, SPIRiT provides practical recommendations on how to facilitate involvement of special populations in clinical research. SPIRiT was started to expand the scope of the 5Ts Framework for Older Adults to incorporate insights about integrating children and other groups not well-represented in research. To date, we have conducted Community Engagement Studios with other special populations including children and adolescents, individuals with rare diseases, African American communities, and Hispanic/Latinx communities. For more information about SPIRiT, please email us at CTSI.CCHT@dm.duke.edu. 

    References: 

    1. 5Ts Framework - A tool to facilitate inclusion of older adults in clinical research. 
    2. The 5Ts: Preliminary Development of a Framework to Support Inclusion of Older Adults in Research - Bowling - 2019 - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society - Wiley Online Library
    3. Recommendations for using the 5Ts Framework to support research inclusion across the lifespan - Thomas - 2023 - Journal of the American Geriatrics Society - Wiley Online Library
       

  3. Duke Integrating Across the Lifespan in Clinical Research Enrollment Dashboard
    The Duke Integrating Across the Lifespan in Clinical Research Enrollment Dashboard seeks to inform the public about the representation of participants from special populations in Duke clinical research. The IAL Dashboard shows representation in Duke clinical research by age, sex, race, ethnicity, and rurality and is updated quarterly. The IAL Dashboard also presents information from the U.S. Census (Durham County, NC state, U.S., 2000) for reference.

    Reference: 
    Developing a public-facing tool to monitor inclusion of special populations in clinical research