title: Practical partnered research to improve weight loss among overweight/obese veterans: lessons from the trenches.
abstract: Obesity and obesity-related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, are a major issue for Veteran health. Veterans Health Administration (VA) researchers and health systems leaders have worked separately and together to provide more effective weight management programs for Veterans. Although randomized clinical trials are often considered the gold standard for establishing efficacy of interventions in controlled circumstances, pragmatic clinical trials (PCTs) provide agility for translation.
  
  
  
  VA researchers and health system leaders collaboratively designed a PCT to compare the Diabetes Prevention Program (VA-DPP) to usual care (MOVE!®) in promoting weight loss and glycemic control among overweight/obese Veterans with prediabetes. Together, they navigated the tensions that exist between quality improvement and research activities, facing challenges but reaping significant rewards. Early findings led to updated national guidance for delivering obesity treatment in VA.
  
  
  
  Partnered research and the use of PCTs can be powerful strategies for accelerating evidence-based findings into practice. Collaborative partnerships between researchers and health systems leaders can help enhance and sustain translation in real-world settings.
authors.affiliation: Ann Arbor VA Center for Clinical Management Research, VA HSR&D/CCMR (Mail Stop 152), P.O. Box 130170, Ann Arbor, MI, 48113-0170, USA. mona.auyoung@va.gov.
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: AuYoung
authors.affiliation: Ann Arbor VA Center for Clinical Management Research, VA HSR&D/CCMR (Mail Stop 152), P.O. Box 130170, Ann Arbor, MI, 48113-0170, USA.|VA Diabetes QUERI, VA HSR&D/CCMR (Mail Stop 152), P.O. Box 130170, Ann Arbor, MI, 48113-0170, USA.
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Damschroder
authors.affiliation: National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, 3022 Croasdaile Dr #200, Durham, NC, 27705, USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kinsinger
authors.affiliation: VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.|David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.|Greater Los Angeles CA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Center for Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Mail Code 111D, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA.
authors.forename: Tannaz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moin
authors.affiliation: Ann Arbor VA Center for Clinical Management Research, VA HSR&D/CCMR (Mail Stop 152), P.O. Box 130170, Ann Arbor, MI, 48113-0170, USA.|VA Diabetes QUERI, VA HSR&D/CCMR (Mail Stop 152), P.O. Box 130170, Ann Arbor, MI, 48113-0170, USA.|Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, 1018 Fuller St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104-1213, USA.
authors.forename: Caroline R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Richardson
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans; D058014:Veterans Health; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Implementation; Partnered research; Pragmatic clinical trials; Veterans; Weight loss