Can We Re-Imagine Research So It Is Timely, Relevant and Responsive?; Comment on “Experience of Health Leadership in Partnering with University-Based Researchers in Canada: A Call to ‘Re-Imagine’ Research”

Document Type : Commentary

Author

Department of Applied Health Research, University College London, London, UK

Abstract

Partnerships between academic institutions and healthcare organisations have been proposed as an effective way to integrate academic research findings into changes in health policy and practice. Bowen and colleagues explore these partnerships from a different angle, analysing them in relation to the experiences of health system leaders. The authors made a call to re-imagine research, rethinking how we train applied health researchers, fund health research and evaluation and design studies and collaborations with the health sector. In this paper, I respond to this call by discussing three strategies we can use to make sure our research is timely, relevant and responsive to the needs and context of healthcare organisations: the widespread use of rapid research approaches, the integration of scoping stages in all studies, and the training of applied health researchers to work in the health system and develop collaborative relationships with staff.

Keywords

References

  1. Bowen S, Botting I, Graham ID, et al. Experience of health leadership in partnering with university-based researchers in Canada - a call to "re-imagine" research. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2019;8(12):684-699. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2019.66
  2. Cooke J, Langley J, Wolstenholme D, Hampshaw S. "Seeing" the difference: the importance of visibility and action as a mark of" authenticity" in co-production comment on" collaboration and co-production of knowledge in healthcare: opportunities and challenges.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2017;6(6):345-348. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2016.136
  3. Rycroft-Malone J. From knowing to doing-from the academy to practice comment on "the many meanings of evidence: implications for the translational science agenda in healthcare.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2014;2(1):45-46. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2014.08
  4. Sim SM, Lai J, Aubrecht K, et al. CIHR health system impact fellows: reflections on "driving change" within the health system. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2019;8(6):325-328. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2018.124
  5. Vindrola-Padros C, Pape T, Utley M, Fulop NJ. The role of embedded research in quality improvement: a narrative review. BMJ Qual Saf. 2017;26(1):70-80. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2015-004877
  6. Vindrola-Padros C, Eyre L, Baxter H, et al. Addressing the challenges of knowledge co-production in quality improvement: learning from the implementation of the researcher-in-residence model. BMJ Qual Saf. 2019;28(1):67-73. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2017-007127
  7. Ward V. Why, whose, what and how? a framework for knowledge mobilisers. Evid Policy. 2017;13(3):477-497. doi:10.1332/174426416X14634763278725
  8. Rycroft-Malone J, Burton CR, Bucknall T, Graham ID, Hutchinson AM, Stacey D. Collaboration and co-production of knowledge in healthcare: opportunities and challenges. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2016;5(4):221-223. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2016.08
  9. Kislov R, Wilson PM, Knowles S, Boaden R. Learning from the emergence of NIHR Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRCs): a systematic review of evaluations. Implement Sci. 2018;13(1):111. doi:10.1186/s13012-018-0805-y
  10. Lockett A, El Enany N, Currie G, et al. A formative evaluation of Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC): institutional entrepreneurship for service innovation. Health Services and Delivery Research.  2014;2(31). doi:10.3310/hsdr02310
  11. Rycroft-Malone J, Wilkinson JE, Burton CR, et al. Implementing health research through academic and clinical partnerships: a realistic evaluation of the Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC). Implement Sci. 2011;6:74. doi:10.1186/1748-5908-6-74
  12. Optimising the impact of health services research on the organisation and delivery of health services: a study of embedded models of knowledge co-production in the NHS (Embedded). NIHR; 2018. https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/16/52/21.
  13. Nunns H. Responding to the demand for quicker evaluation findings. Social Policy Journal of New Zealand. 2009;34:89-99.
  14. Kilo CM. A framework for collaborative improvement: lessons from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Breakthrough Series. Qual Manag Health Care. 1998;6(4):1-13. doi:10.1097/00019514-199806040-00001
  15. Reed JE, Card AJ. The problem with Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. BMJ Qual Saf. 2016;25(3):147-152. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2015-005076
  16. Etchells E, Ho M, Shojania KG. Value of small sample sizes in rapid-cycle quality improvement projects. BMJ Qual Saf. 2016;25(3):202-206. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2015-005094
  17. McNall M, Foster-Fishman PG. Methods of rapid evaluation, assessment, and appraisal. Am J Eval. 2007;28(2):151-168. doi:10.1177/1098214007300895
  18. Anker M, Guidotti RJ, Orzeszyna S, Sapirie SA, Thuriaux MC. Rapid evaluation methods (REM) of health services performance: methodological observations. Bull World Health Organ. 1993;71(1):15-21.
  19. Beebe J. Basic concepts and techniques of rapid appraisal. Hum Organ. 1995;54(1):42-51. doi:10.17730/humo.54.1.k84tv883mr2756l3
  20. Beebe J. Rapid Qualitative Inquiry: A Field Guide to Team-Based Assessment. 2nd ed. London: Rowman & Littlefield; 2014.
  21. Johnson GA, Vindrola-Padros C. Rapid qualitative research methods during complex health emergencies: a systematic review of the literature. Soc Sci Med. 2017;189:63-75. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.07.029
  22. Vindrola-Padros C, Vindrola-Padros B. Quick and dirty? a systematic review of the use of rapid ethnographies in healthcare organisation and delivery. BMJ Qual Saf. 2018;27(4):321-330. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2017-007226
  23. Vindrola-Padros C, Brage E, Johnson GA. Rapid, responsive and relevant? A systematic review of rapid evaluations in healthcare. American Journal of Evaluation. In Press.
  24. Shrank W. The Center For Medicare And Medicaid Innovation's blueprint for rapid-cycle evaluation of new care and payment models. Health Aff (Millwood). 2013;32(4):807-812. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2013.0216
  25. Tricco AC, Langlois EV, Straus SE. Rapid Reviews to Strengthen Health Policy and Systems: A Practical Guide. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2017.
  26. Sinfield P, Donoghue K, Horobin A, Anderson ES. Placing interprofessional learning at the heart of improving practice: the activities and achievements of CLAHRC in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland. Qual Prim Care. 2012;20(3):191-198.
International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 10, Issue 3
March 2021
Pages 172-175

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 02 November 2019
  • Revise Date: 10 March 2020
  • Accept Date: 11 March 2020
  • First Publish Date: 01 March 2021

Share

How to cite

Statistics