Between Bench and Bedside: Building Clinical Consensus at the NIH, 1977-2013.

Area of Science:

• Health Policy
• Medical Research Dissemination
• History of Medicine

Background:

• Post-WWII, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) became a key funder of biomedical research.
• NIH administrators faced challenges in disseminating research findings and managing clinician relationships.
• The Office of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) was established to bridge research and practice.

Observation:

• The NIH Consensus Development Program (CDP) operated from 1978 to 2012.
• The CDP was an unusual effort to depoliticize biomedical research and practice during a contentious period.
• Program administrators aimed to introduce new knowledge without appearing to regulate clinical practice.

Findings:

• The CDP navigated the complex task of extending NIH's responsibility from research to clinical application.
• The program's history reveals strategies for balancing knowledge dissemination with clinical autonomy.
• This initiative prompted a reevaluation of the NIH's role and mission.

Implications:

• The CDP's history offers insights into postwar biomedical research dynamics.
• It sheds light on health politics and the institutional evolution of the NIH.
• Understanding the CDP informs current approaches to medical knowledge translation and policy.