The food industry is a powerful force in determining the eating patterns of the US population. Given its influence, collaborative efforts between academia and industry to promote healthier eating patterns could have an enormous impact on obesity rates and cardiovascular health over the long-term.

Efforts to forge public-private partnerships in nutrition and obesity research are in formative stages and expected to grow substantially over the next decade, It is timely to take advantage of industry interest in such partnerships to answer questions of interest to academic researchers that can benefit from the resources and expertise brought to bear by industry.
Using public-private partnership models, academic researchers could be encouraged to partner with industry on topics of mutual interest; industry partners could ideally provide “in-kind” resources (e.g., food, spice, or beverage supplies, technical assistance such as food preparation techniques). Collaborative partnerships could also be encouraged between academia, industry, and other key constituents such as the stakeholders in the setting of the research (e.g., worksites, schools and universities). Examples of research focusing on nutritional behaviors and obesity that could be conducted using PPP models include the subquestions listed.

- Broaden reach to underserved populations
- Increase ability to generate evidence based solutions to address health inequities
- Bring expertise and resources to core partner (NIH)
- Enhance ability to identify unanticipated problems and strengthen efforts across all phases of the implementation research agenda

Feasibility:
- Increased emphasis on health and health inequities by non-profit and particularly, for-profit organizations
- Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes both general and explicit provisions that could narrow the health disparities gaps through implementation research.
- Can leverage and build upon current research partnerships that exist between government agencies and health care delivery systems to address questions of major public health importance
- Opportune time to employ implementation research addressing health inequities through non-traditional research partnership with sectors such as education, state and local government, transportation (built environment), penal and re-entry systems (health risks and disparities), ministries of health, and for-profits, foundations, and non-profits with health care focus.

Challenges:

- Risk of disagreements and friction among partners and management with different priorities

- Synchronization of timing for decision making

- Achieving partners’ concurrence on decisions that provide the most cost effective solutions

- Time needed to establish trust among partners that do not routinely partner to address health inequities

- There are limited resources dedicated to fostering Public Private Partnerships

Unlike most leading causes of death and disability, there is no coordinated effort to lower disease burden associated with COPD. Coordinated plans provide a forum for identifying the most pressing issues that must be tackled, for setting goals and convening partners from different disciplines and are a framework upon which policy change can be achieved. In order to make meaningful progress in the impact that COPD is having on patients, health systems and payers, coordinated planning and action is needed and NHLBI can lead the way but time is of the essence.

There are proven models of multi-stakeholder, public and private partnerships to tackle disease burden and create national plans. There are also multiple national and regional organizations standing ready to assist in these efforts.

Not hard, no cost.

Reduction of cardiopulmonary risk factors
Reduction of health inequities

Proven, evidence-based interventions exist for common diseases that can be adapted to reduce burden in low resource settings.
However,determining the best way to adapt existing interventions that are culturally competent and effective is a sensitive issue.

Global reduction of heart, lung, blood, sleep diseases

Identify and form partnerships with nongovernmental organizations, Ministries of Health and other partners and develop an implementation strategy collaboratively to reduce risk for heart, lung, blood, sleep diseases globally within 10 years. This could use the framework of the previously announced ARRA “Grand Challenges”.

Common goals and deliverables between NHLBI and partners will need to be identified

Common milestones should be delineated at the outset

• Currently there are huge implementation challenges within LIC contexts and only limited progress is being made to address the gaps
• Conducting research in the context where its finding will be scaled up will vastly increase its appropriateness, adoption and uptake, fidelity, and sustainability
• Small improvements in the challenging context of LICs should provide opportunities to make a large burden reduction

• Currently there are formative efforts to engage biomedical research in LICs with H3Africa, Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, and others
• NHLBI Think Tanks and Workshops have found much interest and demand to T4 Implementation research engagement
• Key non-traditional partners (World Bank, USAID) are working on implementation strategies in LICs currently and will be strong partners