Participants should be aware of the following financial/non-financial relationships: . Tooka Zokaie, MPH, MAS: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Evidence-based oral health practices are only effective if they are introduced to and implemented by oral health professionals. While some models of translational science still promote a 17-year delay between introduction and adoption, the trajectory of implementation in oral health is largely unknown. The present study aims to understand how peer-reviewed oral health publications influence the translation of the science into professional practice.
METHODS: A three-pronged data collection approach measured facets of the peer-reviewed publication process. These include 1) an environmental scan of 48 oral health journals, 2) a quantitative survey of journal editors, and 3) qualitative interviews of journal editors. An analysis of all three sources is included.
RESULTS: The analysis revealed that most journals (80%) focus on clinical dentistry and average subscription prices to those journals range from $200-$600. The average open access fee for journal articles was $3274. Journal editors acknowledged financial access as a barrier to translation during interviews. Survey results showed that journal editors perceive open access articles to be of poorer quality when from other journals, but the same quality as closed access articles in their own publication. Clinical research and novel topics were the highest reported priorities when considering publication topics.
CONCLUSION: Funding remained a central theme in all three data analyses as a barrier to implementing peer-reviewed science. Journal editors acknowledged diverse methods of scientific communication extend translational science in oral health and reinforced the need for equity in publication processes.
