Abstract
BackgroundThe need to translate research into policy, i.e. making research findings a driving force in agenda-setting and policy change, is increasingly acknowledged. However, little is known about translation mechanisms in the field of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outside North American or European contexts. This paper seeks to give an overview of the existing knowledge on this topic as well as to document practical challenges and remedies from the perspectives of researchers involved in four SRH research consortium projects in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, China and India.MethodsA literature review and relevant project documents were used to develop an interview guide through which researchers could reflect on their experiences in engaging with policy-makers, and particularly on the obstacles met and the strategies deployed by the four project consortia to circumvent them.ResultsOur findings confirm current recommendations on an early and steady involvement of policy-makers, however they also suggest that local barriers between researchers and policy-making spheres and individuals can represent major hindrances to the realization of translation objectives. Although many of the challenges might be common to different contexts, creating locally-adapted responses is deemed key to overcome them. Researchers’ experiences also indicate that - although inevitable - recognizing and addressing these challenges is a difficult, time- and energy-consuming process for all partners involved. Despite a lack of existing knowledge on translation efforts in SRH research outside North American or European contexts, and more particularly in low and middle-income countries, it is clear that existing pressure on health and policy systems in these settings further complicates them.ConclusionsThis article brings together literature findings and researchers’ own experiences in translating research results into policy and highlights the major challenges research conducted on sexual and reproductive health outside North American or European contexts can meet. Future SRH projects should be particularly attentive to these potential obstacles in order to tailor appropriate and consistent strategies within their existing resources.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1889-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
The need to translate research into policy, i.e. making research findings a driving force in agenda-setting and policy change, is increasingly acknowledged
The need to ensure the translation of research results into policy, notably through policy-makers’ involvement, is increasingly apparent in the literature – few resources tackle this issue in the context of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outside North American and European contexts, especially from the perspective of researchers engaged in translating their findings into policy
Literature on translating research into policy is extensive, few references are discussing it in the specific context we were looking at (SRH outside of North American and European contexts, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs))
Summary
The need to translate research into policy, i.e. making research findings a driving force in agenda-setting and policy change, is increasingly acknowledged. Health system research findings should not be limited solely to academic circles, as existing evidence on the root causes of health system weaknesses and on feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of potential interventions can inform health policies, care delivery and health systems. This means that researchers have to find suitable ways of passing their findings on to the key actors who are responsible for shaping agendas and driving policy change while collecting the feedback of those actors. – INPAC (Integrating Post-Abortion Family Planning Services into Existing Abortion Services in Hospital Settings in China)
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