Outlook: A Quarterly Newsletter of the Society of Behavorial Medicine
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Translational Behavioral Medicine: It's All about Actionable Science

Kathryn Silverstein, Med, TBM Editorial Assistant and Bonnie Spring, PhD, TBM Editor

SBM's newest journal, Translational Behavioral Medicine: Practice, Policy, Research (TBM), steps out into exciting terrain. TBM's goal is to bring actionable science to practitioners and to catalyze debate on issues that surround implementing the evidence. TBM is designed to create a forum for dialogue among the research, practice, and policy communities in behavioral medicine. Its pages will provide a much-needed outlet for studies focusing on the application of research and its potential to impact health care reform. By creating a connection channel between translational research, practice, and policy, the journal seeks to foster dialogue between sectors of the behavioral medicine community that traditionally have little communication.

Consistent with its broad translational goals, TBM seeks articles of interest to three main constituencies: the behavioral medicine research community, practitioners, and policymakers. Authors whose papers are accepted for publication in the journal are asked to explain the implications of their work to each of these three readerships. Consistent with the goal of enhancing behavioral medicine's relevance for a diverse audience, the journal offers a varied article format. In addition to original empirical research and systematic reviews, TBM invites authors to submit any of the following types of articles:

Case Studies of individuals and communities that highlight challenges in the application of behavioral medicine in a real-world context. Desirable cases highlight important, unanswered practice and policy questions that are in need of research. Alternatively, they may help practitioners and policy makers by illustrating innovative ways in which evidence-based practices have been implemented in under-resourced settings.

Synopses are pithy summaries of systematic reviews or guidelines that appeared elsewhere but that have high practice or policy relevance to translational behavioral medicine. Synopses are an element of the dissemination infrastructure for evidence-based practice. They offer a vehicle to bring up-to-date, thoughtfully appraised, and clearly conveyed research knowledge to end users in the practice and policy communities.

An article about Practice Tools presents information about a new device, procedure, or support that can help end users to implement best practices. These "how to" pieces point end users to tools that can help them navigate the gap between a research supported practice and its implementation in a contextually responsive way.

Articles about Practice and Public Health Policies cover new events and policy trends that affect behavioral medicine practitioners or the public. Of particular relevance are pieces about new or forthcoming legislation that affects the built environment and taxes or subsidies related to health behaviors. Also sought are articles about health care and insurance reform and reimbursement policies that are of interest to clinicians. We especially seek pieces that promote a translational dialogue between clinicians, policymakers and researchers.

TBM will debut in Washington, DC at the April 2011 Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting. The inaugural issue will include a special section on Evidence Implementation and Information Technology. Edited by Amy Abernethy, MD, and Brad Hesse, PhD, the section will include contributions from experts at the cutting edge of health informatics. Special sections planned for forthcoming issues include: Implementation and Exchange of Behavioral Medicine Evidence Globally (edited by Brian F. Oldenburg, PhD, and Pilvikki Absetz, PhD), Dissemination and Implementation of Intensive Lifestyle Interventions in Clinical and Community Settings (edited by Sherry L. Pagoto, PhD), and Translational Pain Management (edited by Francis J. Keefe, PhD).

TBM is actively seeking submissions in all article categories. For submission information, please visit our website at http://www.springer.com/medicine/journal/13142. You may also stay up to date with news from TBM by becoming a fan of TBM on Facebook.


 

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