Nurturing hospital-based research: A Canadian case study

Research Objectives: A goal was set to raise the organization's standing among the list of Top40 Research Hospitals in Canada. The purpose of this study was to examine the approaches used by a hospital research department to achieve this goal and nurture a culture of research in an academic rehab hospital among a diverse group of medical and allied health disciplines in Ontario, Canada.

Design: Prospective organizational study design that included review of culture and development of steps required to nurture research.

Setting: Mutli-site academic teaching medical facilities with a rehab hospital, extended rehab centre, nursing home, palliative care and community services.

Participants: The participants of this study were clinicians from diverse areas such as mental health, aging, physical medicine and rehabilitation, complex continuing care, and palliative care working in the hospital and professors with research labs within the hospital.

Interventions: To understand the institutional practices and research environment interviews were conducted with clinicians, researchers, management. A daylong conference created a unified understanding of the next steps. Based on these interactions, a strategy was devised and initial implementation included raising research profile through a website, offering honorary titles for hospital-based researchers, laying preparatory plans for integrating library services into research, offering 4 summer job positions and hiring a new research coordinator to develop a clinical trial infrastructure.

Main Outcome Measures: Feedback received through verbal, text or emails from researchers and research productivity numbers. Development of a framework of strategies and processes necessary to nurture research.

Results: Feedback we received can be highlighted into several main results. Honorary title of Associate Researcher was perceived as a distinction, a recognition by the hospital of the important work and experience university-based researchers bring to the hospital. Highlighting of researchers, research facilities, and research output provided with encouragement and recognition of the researchers leading to a creation of a positive work environment.

Conclusions: A path is now laid to nurture research over the next 5 years.

Author(s) Disclosures: None