Why Research?

In today’s marketplace, quality patient care is not enough.  To set ourselves apart, we must look beyond medicine. And Carle Foundation Hospital is doing that through research and education. While The Carle Foundation has always valued both, we have formally added them to our mission statement and have established funding for them in our strategic plan.

Why research and education? Simply put: They spark the ideas that lead to new discoveries, which in turn help us deliver even better patient care.

At Carle, those ideas begin with translational research. Through translational research, we are turning the latest medical knowledge into practical applications for the bedside. We are now working with Carle Clinic physicians and University of Illinois scientists on more than 20 projects related to breast cancer, aging, cardiology, gastroenterology, imaging and genomic research.

In the end, it’s about meeting our mission everyday for our patients. And we are using research, education and quality patient care to give patients hope and healing.

What is translational research?
Both basic research and translational research are essential in finding new treatments and cures for disease.  Unlike basic research, which is conducted purely for the sake of advancing knowledge, translational research searches for a practical application for patients.  

To make a difference in the treatment of patients, scientific discoveries must be translated into practical applications. Such discoveries typically begin at “the bench” with basic research—in which scientists study disease at a molecular or cellular level—then progress to the clinical level, or the patient's “bedside”, where they are translated for direct patient care applications.

Scientists are increasingly aware that this bench-to-bedside approach to translational research is really a two-way street. Basic scientists provide clinicians with new tools for use in patients and for assessment of their impact, and clinical researchers make novel observations about the nature and progression of disease that often stimulate basic investigations.  Translational research has proven to be a powerful process that drives the clinical research engine.

Why is Carle’s approach different?
Many hospitals and clinics participate in clinical trials (usually drug studies sponsored by pharmaceuticals and federal grants).  Carle Foundation Hospital’s vision and research model is different.  Translational research allows for more investigator-initiated projects, projects that allow physicians and researchers to collaborate and test their own ideas for clinical efficacy and future use; aka, translational research.  The scientists often have the answers, but don’t know the questions.  The physicians often have the questions, but don’t know the answers. By working together, they can figure out how ideas can translate into better patient care.