Documenting the need for translational research: an example from workplace violence prevention.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Translational Research
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Workplace violence is the primary cause of occupational fatalities in small retail settings.
• Translational research is crucial for bridging the gap between evidence-based practices and real-world implementation.
• Small retail businesses often face challenges in adopting effective safety measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the discrepancy between evidence-based strategies for reducing workplace violence and those voluntarily implemented by small retail businesses.
• To highlight the need for improved knowledge translation in occupational safety.

Main Methods:

• A review of strategies effective in reducing workplace violence in small retail businesses.
• Comparison of the effectiveness of researched strategies against those self-implemented by businesses.
• Analysis of implementation rates versus effectiveness for various interventions.

Main Results:

• A near-inverse relationship exists between the effectiveness of workplace violence strategies and their implementation by businesses.
• Highly effective strategies like cash control policies (92% effective) were implemented by fewer than 10% of businesses.
• Less effective strategies, such as surveillance cameras (50% effective), were adopted by over 70% of businesses, often at a higher cost.

Conclusions:

• Small retail businesses often fail to implement the most effective strategies for preventing workplace violence.
• There is a significant gap in the translation of research findings into practice, leading to suboptimal safety outcomes.
• Investing in less effective strategies may increase costs without proportionally improving safety.