Background:
Evidence-based practice aims to achieve better health outcomes in the community. It relies onhigh quality research to inform policy and practice; however research in primary health carecontinues to lag behind that of other medical professions. The literature suggests that researchcapacity building (RCB) functions across four levels; individual, team, organisation andexternal environment. Many RCB interventions are aimed at an individual or team level, yetevidence indicates that many barriers to RCB occur at an organisational or externalenvironment level. This study asks senior managers from a large healthcare organisation toidentify the barriers and enablers to RCB. The paper then describes strategies for buildingallied health (AH) research capacity at an organisational level from a senior managersperspective.
Methods:
This qualitative study is part of a larger collaborative RCB project. Semi-structured in-depthinterviews were conducted with nine allied health senior managers. Recorded interviews weretranscribed and NVivo was used to analyse findings and emergent themes were defined.
Results:
The dominant themes indicate that the organisation plays an integral role in building AHresearch capacity and is the critical link in creating synergy across the four levels of RCB.The organisation can achieve this by incorporating research into its core business with awhole of organisation approach including its mission, vision and strategic planning. Criticalsuccess factors include: developing a co-ordinated and multidisciplinary approach to attaincritical mass of research-active AH and enhance learning and development; support fromsenior managers demonstrated through structures, processes and systems designed tofacilitate research; forming partnerships to increase collaboration and sharing of resourcesand knowledge; and establishing in internal framework to promote recognition for researchand career path opportunities.
Conclusions:
This study identifies four key themes: whole of organisation approach; structures, processesand systems; partnerships and collaboration; and dedicated research centres, units andpositions. These themes form the foundation of a model which can be applied to assist inachieving synergy across the four levels of RCB, overcome barriers and create anenvironment that supports and facilitates research development in AH.