Increase Research Capacity Research Articles

New research infrastructure increases scholarly activity for orthopedic residency program

PurposeThis study investigated the impact of a PhD-led research infrastructure on scholarly output for an orthopedic residency program. We hypothesized that a research infrastructure leveraging non-surgeon faculty and medical students could increase research capacity and productivity in an orthopedic residency program.MethodsIn 2018, a PhD kinesiologist was hired by a community-based university-affiliated medical center to augment research in collaboration with volunteer clinical faculty orthopedic surgeons. Initiatives implemented included: (1) standardized patient reported outcome collection tools (2) creation of a seven-year retrospective joint registry for a high-volume (> 600/year) arthroplasty surgeon, with continued prospective collection (3) expansion of research staff with three data collection employees (4) creation of a monthly research lecture series for medical students conducted by the kinesiologist. Publications before and after implementation of the research infrastructure (2011–2021) were recorded through PubMed and annual faculty surveys.ResultsPeer-reviewed, indexed publications substantially increased by 491% and 305% for residents and faculty, respectively, since the inception of the kinesiologist-led research program. Over three years, 244 authorships on publications, presentations, and abstracts have been provided for medical students and residents through the lecture series. In subsequent years, a peer mentorship program was established, with senior medical students and residents serving as research mentors under faculty supervision.ConclusionA PhD-led orthopedic research program leveraging medical students resulted in a substantial increase in peer-reviewed publications. This model may be attractive to community medical centers with volunteer clinical faculty seeking to enhance their scholarly environment and provide additional research opportunities for residents and students.

Collaborative development of an innovative virtual research recruitment strategy through an academic/clinical partnership

PurposeRecruitment for research studies is the crucial first step and often the most challenging one. A major shift in recruitment methods for research was necessitated by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal is to describe lessons learned and the success rate of virtual research recruitment compared with other research recruitment strategies employed by our Academic/Clinical Partnership research team. MethodsA descriptive design was employed to assess the success of in-person, mailed introductory letters with follow-up telephone calls and virtual recruitment strategies. The potential participants (N = 144) were parents caring for technology-dependent children (e.g., mechanical ventilation, feeding tubes) at home. To meet recruitment goals the Academic/Clinical Partnership research team (academic project team, hospital-based research nurses) collaboratively developed creative recruitment strategies and a framework to assess recruitment strategy success; percentage who agreed to be contacted by the academic partner, total time for recruitment visit, efficiency, and adherence to ethical recruitment principles. ResultsVirtual recruitment via telehealth visits was highly successful meeting all recruitment strategy benchmarks. Importantly, 91.7 % of potential participants that were approached agreed to be contacted for enrollment in a time efficient manner while adhering to ethical recruitment principles. Best practices and lessons learned were identified. ConclusionsThe transition to virtual study recruitment due to the pandemic was an innovative and successful strategy. An Academic/Clinical Partnership research team benefits both partners: (1) enhances study recruitment by increasing research capacity at the clinical site; and (2) provides mentoring by nurse scientists to facilitate nurse research scholar knowledge and skills.

Existing Funding Sources in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy Research: Scoping Review.

BackgroundDegenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a common, disabling condition of symptomatic cervical spinal cord compression that requires significant research advances to improve patient outcomes. A James Lind Alliance Partnership recently identified the top research priorities for DCM. To effectively address these priorities, appropriate funding of DCM research is essential.ObjectiveThe aim of this paper is to review current funding in DCM research and highlight future research funding opportunities.MethodsA systematic search of Web of Science for “cervical AND myelopathy” was conducted. Papers exclusively studying DCM with declared funding and published between January 1, 1995, and March 21, 2020, were considered eligible. Funding sources were classified by country of origin and organization type. A grant search was also conducted using Dimensions.ai (Digital Science Ltd).ResultsA total of 621 papers were included, with 300 unique funding bodies. The top funders were AO Spine (n=87); National Institutes of Health, USA (n=63); and National Natural Science Foundation, China (n=63). Funding sources in the USA (n=242) supported the most DCM research, followed by China (n=209) and Japan (n=116). Funding in the USA was primarily provided by corporate or nonprofit organizations (146/242, 60.3%), while in China, the majority of funding was from institutions (208/209, 99.5%). Dimensions.ai gives an estimate for the total declared grant funding awards for DCM-specific research. Data here showed 180 grants awarded specifically for DCM research, with a total value of US $45.6 million since 1996.ConclusionsDCM funding appears to be predominantly from the USA, China, and Japan, aligning with areas of high DCM research activity and underpinning the importance of funding to increasing research capacity. The existing funding sources differ from medical research in general, representing opportunities for future investment in DCM.

Development of Nursing Research–Directions and Best Practices in the USA and Europe: A Narrative Review

Summary Nursing research is a relatively new area of professional development that began firstly in the USA and made significant progress during the second half of the 19th century. Nursing research has made significant progress in European countries, mainly developed countries. This article aimed to review publications describing the evolution of nursing research, the directions of development, and best practices in the USA and Europe. Different databases were searched according to selected criteria, and a narrative literature review was conducted. Forty-two articles from the USA and Europe were identified and included as the most appropriate in the analysis, published in 22 journals. During the analysis, five basic directions of developing nursing research were identified - nursing research education, organizational structures for nursing research and collaboration with clinical professionals, research dissemination and journals, trends and priorities, and funding nursing research. To increase research capacity and respond to the growing research culture and the requirements of the scientific community, nursing research education is needed at every educational level. Establishing organizational structures has proved the importance of supporting and encouraging nurses to participate in and conduct studies. Funding research in teams is more likely to occur at any organization or centеr than looking for funding sources from individuals. Encouraging nurses and midwives to conduct research in clinical practice and publish results from scientific studies will help achieve sustainable implementation of evidence-based practice.

Experiences of a community of research practice: a service evaluation.

A community of research practice (CRP) was established to increase research capacity and provide learning opportunities and networking for healthcare practitioners, working within a Children's Care Group. The CRP aimed to engage research-interested practitioners in research to develop their skills and confidence, encourage networking, and build research capacity. To report the results of a service evaluation that was undertaken to review the CRP's value in practice. Thematic analysis revealed four themes - 'positive environment', 'confidence', 'professional development' and 'networking' - highlighting benefits from the CRP, alongside the challenges encountered. This article highlights the significant contribution of CRP for practitioners in the context of an innovative organisation with a supportive culture. A CRP empowers healthcare practitioners to engage with research while in clinical practice, enabling increased research confidence, and the development of research skill and knowledge and enhanced networking. CRP can potentially influence recruitment and retention.

In Reply: Operationalizing Global Neurosurgery Research in Neurosurgical Journals

In Reply: Operationalizing Global Neurosurgery Research in Neurosurgical Journals

Factors determining development of researchers within a research network on cancer diagnosis in primary care (CanTest): an interview study

ObjectivesDeveloping connections with other researchers in a network, learning informally through these connections and using them to reach goals, is expected to increase research capacity and strengthen performance. So far,...

Doing Case Study Research Collaboratively: The Benefits for Researchers

Collaborative research teams are an effective strategy to combine the knowledge and skills of like-minded researchers across tertiary education settings and international borders. Research collaborations have the potential to increase research capacity for both individuals and the team alike. The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of a team of seven Australasian nurse academics undertaking a longitudinal multi-site case study. We used a nominal group technique in this deductive qualitative exploratory study. The key findings from this study indicate establishing safe academic relationships is paramount to successful collaborative teams. Collaborative research teams offer opportunities to learn research processes from other members through sharing of expertise and skillsets, together with upholding a positive engagement with technology to ensure full research participation is achievable irrespective of geographical location. To conclude, in this study we have identified multi-site collaborative research teams provide an opportunity to leverage the strengths of individuals to enhance research outcomes across organisations. The synergistic effect of the team builds research blue skies thinking and capacity building through mentorship and support. The potential for positive change through mentorship and support, alongside the forged new relationships, are all key drivers of researcher wellbeing, never more important as we transition into new ways of working both now and into the future.

Abstract 9476: Global Representation of Leaders, Collaborators, and Enrolled Participants in Heart Failure Clinical Trials: A Systematic Bibliometric Review

Introduction: The geographic representation of investigators and participants in heart failure (HF) randomized clinical trials (RCTs) may not reflect the global burden of disease. Objectives: We assessed the geographic diversity of RCT leaders and explored associations with the geographic representation of enrolled participants among impactful HF RCTs. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL for HF RCTs published in journals with impact factor ≥ 10 between January 2000 and June 2020. We used the Jonckheere-Terpstra test to assess temporal trends and multivariable logistic regression models to explore associations between predictors and outcomes. Results: There were 414 eligible RCTs. Only 80 of 828 trial leaders (9.7%; 95% CI: 7.8% to 11.8%), and 453 of 4656 collaborators (9.7%; 95% CI: 8.8% to 10.6%) were from outside Europe and North America, with no change in temporal trends. The adjusted odds of trial leadership outside Europe and North America were lower with industry funding (aOR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.75; P = 0.008). Among 157,416 participants in whom geography was reported, only 14.5% (95% CI: 14.3% to 14.7%) were enrolled outside Europe and North America, but odds of enrolment were ten-fold greater with trial leadership outside Europe and North America (aOR: 10.0; 95% CI 5.6-19.0; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Regions disproportionately burdened with HF are under-represented in HF trial leadership, collaboration, and enrolment. RCT leadership outside Europe and North America is independently associated with participant enrolment in under-represented regions. Increasing research capacity outside Europe and North America could enhance trial diversity and generalizability.

Global representation of heart failure clinical trial leaders, collaborators, and enrolled participants: a bibliometric review 2000-20.

The geographic representation of investigators and participants in heart failure (HF) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) may not reflect the global distribution of disease. We assessed the geographic diversity of RCT leaders and explored associations with geographic representation of enrolled participants among impactful HF RCTs. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL for HF RCTs published in journals with impact factor ≥ 10 between January 2000 and June 2020. We used the Jonckheere-Terpstra test to assess temporal trends and multivariable logistic regression models to explore associations between predictors and outcomes. There were 414 eligible RCTs. Only 80 of 828 trial leaders [9.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 7.8-11.8%] and 453 of 4656 collaborators (9.7%; 95% CI: 8.8-10.6%) were from outside Europe and North America, with no change in temporal trends and with greater disparities in large RCTs. The adjusted odds of trial leadership outside Europe and North America were lower with industry funding [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.33; 95% CI: 0.15-0.75; P = 0.008]. Among 157 416 participants for whom geography was reported, only 14.5% (95% CI: 14.3-14.7%) were enrolled outside Europe and North America, but odds of enrolment were 10-fold greater with trial leadership outside Europe and North America (aOR: 10.0; 95% CI: 5.6-19.0; P <0.001). Regions disproportionately burdened with HF are under-represented in HF trial leadership, collaboration, and enrolment. RCT leadership outside Europe and North America is independently associated with participant enrolment in under-represented regions. Increasing research capacity outside Europe and North America could enhance trial diversity and generalizability.

The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Health-Care Workers in African Countries

In Africa, a systematic appraisal of the associated pattern of psychiatric disorders (PDs) among health-care workers (HCWs) is lacking. We, therefore, aimed to ascertain the pattern of PDs and their associated risk factors among HCWs in Africa during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic. We identified 12 studies for inclusion after searching four databases: Web of Science, PubMed, AJOL, and EBSCOhost for articles written in English from January 2020 to April 2021. Anxiety disorder with rates from 9.5% to 73.3% and depression, 12.5% to 71.9%, were the most reported PDs. Availability of protective gear and information regarding preventive measures reduced the risk of developing any PDs, while psychoactive substance use, history of chronic medical illness, low level of resilience, and low social support increased these risks. A considerable proportion of HCWs manifest various psychological problems such as their counterparts in other parts of the world. Multiple factors were also implicated as risk, albeit associations were not consistently established across the studies. There is a need to increase research capacity tailored to the HCW population's needs in the continent.

Learning from a successful process evaluation in care homes.

process evaluations (PE) are increasingly used in parallel with randomised controlled trials (RCT) to inform the implementation of complex health interventions. This paper explores the learning accrued from conducting a PE within the Falls in Care Homes Study (FinCH), a large UK RCT. in the FinCH study, six purposively sampled care homes provided data for the PE, which followed a realist approach. In this study researchers kept written diaries of their experiences in completing the interviews, focus groups and observations. We have reflected on these and present the main themes for discussion. care home staff were enthusiastic to participate in the PE but researchers found it difficult to collect data due to staff not having time to take part, environmental factors such as no space for focus groups and low levels of research understanding. Researchers found that the expectations of the PE protocol were often unrealistic due to these limitations. Flexible and pragmatic approaches such as interviews in place of focus groups enabled data collection but required a reduced sample size and length of data collection to be accepted by researchers. to enable care home staff to participate in successful PEs, researchers should build flexibility into research schedules, spend time building trust, collaborate with all levels of care home staff prior to data collection, increase research capacity in care home staff and co-design research projects.

Improving Research Capacity at Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia

As a higher education institution with a vision to become a research university, programs and activities related to research are Universitas Diponegoro main concern. Research is one of the three main pillars of higher education in Indonesia, apart from education and community service. Besides that, as a state university, its development is also influenced by central government policies. Currently, Undip is a state university with legal status and has wide autonomy. This paper explains research programs, activities and challenges that still need to be addressed in the future. To increase research capacity at Diponegoro University, there are five main programs, namely: 1. Increasing the capacity of human resources; 2. Improvement of facilities and supporting facilities; 3. Increasing the availability of research funds, 4. Collaboration and 5. Creating a conducive environment to research development at universities. Based on the application of the five programs, there has been a substantial increase in a research capacity, especially when viewed from indicators of international scientific publications, and an increase in the number of patents obtained. But there are still many challenges that need to be overcome, including the increase in the citation of published papers and the utilization of patent by industries.

Australia and New Zealand's responsibilities in improving oncology services in the Asia-Pacific: A call to action.

To review the expected increasing demand for cancer services among low and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), and to describe ways in which Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) can provide support to improve cancer outcomes in our region. We first review the current and projected incidence of cancer within the APAC between 2018 and 2040, and the estimated demand for chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. We then explore potential ways in which ANZ can increase regional collaborations to improve cancer outcomes. We identify 6 ways that ANZ can collaborate with LMICs to improve cancer care in the APAC through the ANZ Regional Oncology Collaboration Strategy: Increasing education and institutional collaborations in the APAC region through in-country training, twinning partnerships, observerships and formalised training programs in order to increase cancer care quality and capacity. Promoting and assisting in the establishment and maintenance of population-based cancer registries in LMICs. Increasing research capacity in LMICs through collaboration and promoting high quality global oncology research within ANZ. Engaging and training Australian and New Zealand clinicians in global oncology, increasing awareness of this important career path, and increasing health policy engagement. Increasing web-based endeavours through virtual tumour boards, web-based advocacy platforms and web-based teaching programs. Continuing to leverage for funding through professional bodies, government, industry, not-for-profit organisations and local hospital funds. We propose the creation of an Australian and New Zealand Interest Group to provide formalised and sustained collaboration between researchers, clinicians and stakeholders.

The value proposition of investigator-initiated clinical trials conducted by networks.

The value proposition of investigator-initiated clinical trials conducted by networks.

Sustainable Tourism and the Grand Challenge of Climate Change

Global climate change represents a grand challenge for society, one that is increasingly influencing tourism sector investment, planning, operations, and demand. The paper provides an overview of the core challenges climate change poses to sustainable tourism, key knowledge gaps, and the state of preparedness in the tourism sector. As we begin what is widely considered a decisive climate decade, low sectoral preparedness should be highly disconcerting for the tourism community. Put bluntly, what we have done for the past 30 years has not prepared the sector for the next 30 years of accelerating climate change impacts and the transformation to a decarbonized global economy. The transition from two decades of awareness raising and ambition setting to a decade of determined collective response has massive knowledge requirements and necessitates broad sectoral commitments to: (1) improved communications and knowledge mobilization, (2) increased research capacity and interdisciplinary collaboration, and (3) strategic policy and planning engagement. We in the tourism and sustainability communities must answer this clarion call to shape the future of tourism in a decarbonized and post +3 °C world, for there can be no sustainable tourism if we fail on climate change.

An exploration of profile, perceptions, barriers, and predictors of research engagement among resident doctors: a report from CHARTING study.

Purpose/Aims:This research aimed to study the profile, perceptions, barriers, and predictors of Nigerian resident doctors’ level of engagement in scientific research.Methods:This study was a descriptive cross-sectional quantitative survey of 438 resident doctors in Nigeria. This study forms a part of the big CHARTING Study, the protocol of which was published in “Nigeria Journal of Medicine 2019;28:198-205.”Results:Three hundred and eighteen (72.8%) respondents were male and 119 (27.2%) were female. There were 229 (52.4%) registrars and 208 (47.6%) senior registrars, while residents in surgical versus nonsurgical specialties were 190 (44.5%) and 237 (55.5%), respectively. Three hundred and sixty-eight (85%) respondents had participated previously in research; 67 (15.6%) and 72 (16.6%) had their papers published in local or international journals, respectively; and only 46 (10.6%) had held first authorship positions in peer-reviewed journal publications. The significant barriers to research identified among them included lack of funding, lack of free time, inadequate training/knowledge on research methodology, and the onerous nature of clinical research. The independent predictor of previous engagement with research was years on current job (P = 0.007). This was similar to finding for the first authorship of a peer-reviewed article among the respondents (P = 0.017).Conclusion:This study concludes that publication and grantsmanship rates were very low among the surveyed resident doctors, despite their high rate of engagement in research projects. There is a need for increased research capacity building among resident doctors in Nigeria.

Precision mentoring (PM): a proposed framework for increasing research capacity in health-related disciplines

ABSTRACT Problem Research productivity is expected of academic faculty, and mentoring can facilitate it. This paper presents a framework for using mentoring to develop researchers in health disciplines. Approach We utilized recent literature reviews, and experience developing researchers at an emerging research institution within the Research Centers for Minority Institutions (RCMI) program, to propose a precision mentoring (PM) framework for research development. Outcomes Although we cannot precisely determine how much improvement was due to the PM framework, over the 4 years of our program, the quality and quantity of pilot project proposals (PPP) has increased, the number of external proposals submitted and funded by PPP investigators has increased, and the number of faculty participating in our program has increased. Surveys distributed to our 2021–22 PPP applicants who did not receive funding (n = 5/6 or 86.7%) revealed that new investigators most frequently sought mentoring related to career guidance (e.g., institutional culture, pre-tenure survival strategies), grant proposal basics (e.g., working with funding agencies, reviewing aims, balancing priorities, and enhancing scientific rigor), and identifying funding opportunities. Next Steps We recommend shifting the mentoring paradigm such that: (a) mentees are pre-screened and re-screened for their current skill set and desired areas of growth; (b) mentoring occurs in teams vs. by individuals; (c) mentors are trained and rewarded, and (d) attention is paid to enhancing institutional culture.

Mental health research in Botswana: a semi-systematic scoping review.

Mental and substance use disorders are a leading cause of disability worldwide. Despite this, there is a paucity of mental health research in low- and middle-income countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. We carried out a semi-systematic scoping review to determine the extent of mental health research in Botswana. Using a predetermined search strategy, we searched the databases Web of Science, PubMed, and EBSCOhost (Academic Search Complete, CINAHL with Full Text, MEDLINE, MEDLINE with Full Text, MLA International Bibliography, Open Dissertations) for articles written in English from inception to June 2020. We identified 58 studies for inclusion. The most researched subject was mental health aspects of HIV/AIDS, followed by research on neurotic and stress-related disorders. Most studies were cross-sectional and the earliest published study was from 1983. The majority of the studies were carried out by researchers affiliated to the University of Botswana, followed by academic institutions in the USA. There seems to be limited mental health research in Botswana, and there is a need to increase research capacity.

Abstract D031: Developmental evaluation model for the Florida-California CaRE2 Health Equity Center

Abstract Introduction: The Florida-California CaRE2 Health Equity Center was established in 2018 to address cancer health disparities in Black and Latino communities through innovative translational research in cancers of high mortality. Long term, the CaRE2 Center aims to: 1) reduce cancer disparities in Blacks and Latinos; 2) train and increase the pool of underrepresented Black and Latino scientists conducting health disparity research; 3) increase research capacity at a historically minority serving institution (FAMU); and 4) increase cancer disparity research at UF and USC-NCCC. Two full projects and one pilot project focused on prostate and pancreatic cancers are supported by several cores, including the Tissue Modelling Core. The projects provide research training opportunities across the triad partnership to underrepresented minority students, post-doctoral fellows, and early stage investigators. In this presentation, we describe how the developmental evaluation model (DEM) guided assessment of the CaRE2 Center’s objectives. Methods: The CaRE2 Center Planning and Evaluation Core (PEC) has conducted continuous planning, evaluation and tracking of the partnership activities to ensure the successful achievement of the aims proposed for the Center, its cores, and research projects. The achievement of program goals has been guided by the Provus’ DEM, which focuses on evaluating performance and improving program function. Its premise is that evaluation is: (1) a constructive activity; (2) a dynamic ongoing process; and (3) includes comparison of actual performance with standards and expectations. Each PEC member was assigned as a liaison to one or more of the Center’s cores and research projects. Using a tabular format, each liaison drafted an evaluation plan to guide assessment of their proposed objectives. The liaisons participated in regularly scheduled core and project meetings during the year one of the Center. Results: Each liaison discussed and solicited feedback related to the comprehensive draft evaluation plans. Using a table format, a list of the aims, outcomes, and corresponding benchmarks was presented alongside PEC feedback. PEC feedback provided: (1) evidence of if and how the benchmark was met; and (2) if achieving a benchmark was still in progress. If a benchmark had not been achieved, PEC requested additional information or suggested evaluation metrics to assess future attainment. Each report also included a summary statement in which PEC provided commendations, suggestions, weaknesses, and/or guidance for future reports. PEC provided this feedback formatively and individually to core and research projects quarterly and via a cumulative annual progress report. A comprehensive overview of all core and research project formative reports was sent to the Administrative Core for continuous quality improvement. The Center exceeded most of the benchmarks for year one. Conclusion: The DEM has been instrumental in guiding present and future attainment of the CaRE2 Center objectives. Citation Format: Linda S Behar-Horenstein, Joyce Richey, Alexander Parker, Folakemi T Odedina, Nissa Askins. Developmental evaluation model for the Florida-California CaRE2 Health Equity Center [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr D031.