This project contributes to Goals 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the IKTR Network protocol. The full seven-year protocol is published here.
This project is based on initial work by members of the research team in leading research at interface between health system management and academia, combined with a preliminary review of the peer reviewed literature. These activities identified not only a lack of guidance for health system leaders in selecting and managing partnerships with academic researchers, but very few publications addressing either the perspectives and experiences of health leaders with such partnerships, or partnerships focusing on issues of health service organization and system change.
Research has the potential to provide one valuable source of information for health leaders as they work to address the current challenges facing the health system. However, it appears that little research is driven by current priorities of the health system to assist decision-makers in their work. Lack of supports for decision makers in initiating, selection or managing research partnerships contributes to health research priorities being set within academia, and health leaders making case-by-case decisions about whether to engage on a particular project. There is also some evidence of frustration from decision-makers with many of these ‘partnerships’ – a topic on which little has been published (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/).
This multi-method project aims to:
- identify existing standards and guidelines applicable to research partnerships;
- identify and assess policy, guidelines and tools in use by health regions for health system/academic partnerships in Canada.
- explore issues related to development and management of partnerships with academic researchers from the perspective of those with knowledge of health regions research needs, experience, and priorities.
Activities undertaken to date include:
- Review of Canadian and well-known international websites that address issues of health system organization and functioning; are home to Canadian research funding bodies; or are sponsored by organizations promoting knowledge translation or organizations promoting evidence use in health care. These sites were reviewed to identify resources that addressed both health system change/health service organization and the practical issues of how to ‘do’ research partnerships between academics and the health system.
- Website review and follow-up of each health region in Canada.[1] This, activity, to search for evidence of criteria or guidance for whether and how a region would agree to collaborate with academics, is still underway.
The research team will also be conducting in-depth telephone interviews with a sample of health region research contacts, as well as individuals identified through workshops and referral. This interview phase will focus on better understanding the experiences, perspectives and needs of health system leaders on topics related to research partnerships to address priority question of health system / health service organization.
Findings from this study will inform decision around the need to develop resources to support the health system play a more satisfying role. Results of the study are expected to be available by early winter 2019.
Current/Future Activities
- Results of the two current activities, and implications for both health system leaders and researchers, will be presented at the CAHSPR Conference in Montreal in May. The team is also presenting a pre-conference workshop entitled “Why Aren’t Health Leaders Leading Health Research Agendas: Analysis and Action” on Monday May 28, 2018. https://www.cahspr.ca/en/conferences/current/2018
- If you are interested in contributing to this research, we would like to hear from you.
For More Information
For more information, or to indicate your interest in contributing to this research, please contact Dr. Ingrid Botting, the Principal Investigator. (ibotting@wrha.mb.ca)
Research Team
Ingrid Botting, PhD (Lead)
Assistant Professor, Community Health Sciences
Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
Corporate Secretary, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Ian D Graham, PhD FCAHS FNYAM
Professor, School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine School of Nursing University of Ottawa
Senior Scientist, Centre for Practice-Changing Research, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Danielle de Moissac
Professeure en sciences biologiques et
Chercheure en santé des francophones vivant en situation minoritaire,
Université de Saint-Boniface
Karen Harlos, PhD (Commerce), MA (Industrial/Organizational Psychology)
Professor (Full) and past Inaugural Chair, Department of Business and Administration
Project Director, Workplace Bullying and Mistreatment Partnership for Prevention (SSHRC)
University of Winnipeg
Martha MacLeod, PhD, RN
Professor, School of Nursing
Professor, School of Health Sciences
Northern Health-UNBC Knowledge Mobilization Research Chair Co-Lead, UNBC Health Research Institute University of Northern British Columbia
[1] Health regions were defined to include health authorities, provincial health delivery bodies, zones, areas, local health integration networks (LHINs) and the Integrated Health and Social Service Centres (CISSS) and University Health and Social Services Centres (CIUSS) of Quebec).