What happened and why? A programme theory-based qualitative evaluation of a healthcare-academia partnership reform in primary care

Håkan Uvhagen,Mia Von Knorring,Johan Hansson,Henna Hasson

doi:10.1186/s12913-019-4665-1

Håkan Uvhagen, Mia Von Knorring + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4665-1

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Abstract

BackgroundThere is increasing interest in and demands for partnerships between academia and healthcare practices. Few empirical studies have described the influence of such partnerships from a practice perspective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a reform launched to increase integration between primary care and academia and to identify potential reasons for why the observed impact occurred in three areas targeted by the reform: research, student education, and continued professional development.MethodsThe study was conducted in Stockholm County, the largest healthcare region in Sweden, at the introduction of a partnership between primary care and academia, including eight coordinating centres and approximately 500 surrounding primary care units. A programme theory-based qualitative approach to evaluation was used, building on document analysis, and in-depth interviews with the centre managers (n = 6) and coordinators (n = 8) conducted 42–66 months after the initiation of the reform.ResultsThe analysis showed that the reform had some impact on all three areas targeted by the reform: research, student education, and continued professional development. The input that contributed most extensively to the impact was the establishment of facilitating roles. Most changes occurred at the coordinating centres and primarily in the area of student education. The effect on student education was primarily due to having prior experience in this area and perceptions of timely benefits of students to care practice.ConclusionsPartnerships between primary care and academia hold the potential of practice impact. To increase integration between primary care and academia, the components of the integration must be understandable and relevant for primary care practitioners, and importantly, compliant with delivery of primary care.

Highlights

There is increasing interest in and demands for partnerships between academia and healthcare practices
In this study we evaluate a healthcare-academia partnership initiative called the Academic Primary Healthcare Network (APHN), a regional reform that was introduced in the largest region in Sweden
Impact of the reform Overall, the analysis showed that the reform had some impact on all three targeted areas: research, student education, and continued professional development (CPD)

Summary

Introduction

There is increasing interest in and demands for partnerships between academia and healthcare practices. Healthcare practice is generally looked upon as a provider of data for researchers, or a clinical setting for studentstraining In this paradigm, knowledge producers (i.e., researchers) are seen as isolated from knowledge users, where knowledge is seen as an achievement less dependent on context [11]. Knowledge is seen as produced in the same context as where it will be applied [12], based on collaborative knowledge generation by academics working alongside other stakeholders with questions framed by those who plan and deliver services together with researchers. The engagement paradigm implies that when healthcare professionals participate in research activities or engage in studentstraining, they are more likely to use the results and provide positive impact on the quality of care delivered [13]

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