Jack-of-all-trades,master of none: Postgraduate perspectives on interdisciplinary health research in Australia

Background  

Interdisciplinary health research is increasingly perceived as an expectation of research institutions and funding bodies within Australia. However, little consideration has been given to the extent to which this re-orientation has produced a new type of researcher – an interdisciplinary health researcher.     

Identifying the barriers to conducting outcomes research in integrative health care clinic settings - a qualitative study

Background  

Integrative health care (IHC) is an interdisciplinary blending of conventional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) with the purpose of enhancing patients' health. In 2006, we designed a study to assess outcomes that are relevant to people using such care. However, we faced major challenges in conducting this study and hypothesized that this might be due to the lack of a research climate in these clinics. To investigate these challenges, we initiated a further study in 2008, to explore the reasons why IHC clinics are not conducting outcomes research and to identify strategies for conducting successful in-house outcomes research programs. The results of the latter study are reported here.     

Towards building equitable health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: lessons from case studies on operational research

Background  

Published practical examples of how to bridge gaps between research, policy and practice in health systems research in Sub Saharan Africa are scarce. The aim of our study was to use a case study approach to analyse how and why different operational health research projects in Africa have contributed to health systems strengthening and promoted equity in health service provision.     

From theory to practice: improving the impact of health services research

Background  

While significant strides have been made in health research, the incorporation of research evidence into healthcare decision-making has been marginal. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of how the utility of health services research can be improved through the use of theory. Integrating theory into health services research can improve research methodology and encourage stronger collaboration with decision-makers.     

Media coverage of health issues and how to work more effectively with journalists: a qualitative study

Background  

The mass media has enormous potential to influence health-related behaviours and perceptions. Much research has focused on how the media frames health issues. This study sought to explore how journalists in Australia select and shape news on health issues.     

The emergence and current performance of a health research system: lessons from Guinea Bissau

Background  

Little is known about how health research systems (HRS) in low-income countries emerge and evolve over time, and how this process relates to their performance. Understanding how HRSs emerge is important for the development of well functioning National Health Research Systems (NHRS). The aim of this study was to assess how the HRS in Guinea Bissau has emerged and evolved over time and how the present system functions.     

Psychosocial risk factors in home and community settings and their associations with population health and health inequalities: A systematic meta-review

Background  

The effects of psychosocial risk factors on population health and health inequalities has featured prominently in epidemiological research literature as well as public health policy strategies. We have conducted a meta-review (a review of reviews) exploring how psychosocial factors may relate to population health in home and community settings.     

Why,and how,mixed methods research is undertaken in health services research in England: a mixed methods study

Background  

Recently, there has been a surge of international interest in combining qualitative and quantitative methods in a single study - often called mixed methods research. It is timely to consider why and how mixed methods research is used in health services research (HSR).     

Global public goods and the global health agenda: problems, priorities and potential

Background  

This article centers around a proposal outlining how research universities could leverage their intellectual property to help close the access gap for health innovations in poor countries. A recent deal between Emory University, Gilead Sciences, and Royalty Pharma is used as an example to illustrate how 'equitable access licensing' could be put into practice.     

Identifying research priorities for health care priority setting: a collaborative effort between managers and researchers

Background  

To date there has been relatively little published about how research priorities are set, and even less about methods by which decision-makers can be engaged in defining a relevant and appropriate research agenda. We report on a recent effort in British Columbia to have researchers and decision-makers jointly establish an agenda for future research into questions of resource allocation.     

Participation in environmental health research by placenta donation – a perception study

Background  

Much environmental health research depends on human volunteers participating with biological samples. The perception study explores why and how people participate in a placenta perfusion study in Copenhagen. The participation implies donation of the placenta after birth and some background information but no follow up.     

Social determinants of health in Tunisia: the case-analysis of Ariana

Background  

Few research projects have analyzed how social determinants of health impact cities in North Africa. The sustained growth in these countries has nevertheless proven to exacerbate health disparities and create many social and economic inequalities. This strategic analysis examines selected social determinants of health in a major urban centre of Tunisia, identifies the most influential stakeholders able to influence equity/inequity, and reviews the accomplishments and need for action to foster health equity.     

The role of NGOs in global health research for development

Background  

Global health research is essential for development. A major issue is the inequitable distribution of research efforts and funds directed towards populations suffering the world's greatest health problems. This imbalance is fostering major attempts at redirecting research to the health problems of low and middle income countries. Following the creation of the Coalition for Global Health Research – Canada (CGHRC) in 2001, the Canadian Society for International Health (CSIH) decided to review the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in global health research. This paper highlights some of the prevalent thinking and is intended to encourage new thinking on how NGOs can further this role.     

Applying an extended theoretical framework for data collection mode to health services research

Background  

Over the last 30 years options for collecting self-reported data in health surveys and questionnaires have increased with technological advances. However, mode of data collection such as face-to-face interview or telephone interview can affect how individuals respond to questionnaires. This paper adapts a framework for understanding mode effects on response quality and applies it to a health research context.     

Translating research into maternal health care policy: a qualitative case study of the use of evidence in policies for the treatment of eclampsia and pre-eclampsia in South Africa

Background  

Few empirical studies of research utilisation have been conducted in low and middle income countries. This paper explores how research information, in particular findings from randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews, informed policy making and clinical guideline development for the use of magnesium sulphate in the treatment of eclampsia and pre-eclampsia in South Africa.     

Environmental health perceptions of urban youth from low-income communities: A qualitative photovoice study and framework

Background

Children are amongst the most susceptible groups to environmental exposures, for both immediate and life-course health outcomes. Despite their increased susceptibility, children's knowledge, experiences and voices are understudied. A deeper understanding of children's environmental health perceptions has the potential to better inform policy, develop targeted interventions and improve public health outcomes.

Methods

In this study, our community–academic partnership used the Photovoice research method to examine how urban children from low-income communities perceive environmental influences on their health. Twenty children, ages 10–12, took photographs and participated in focus group interviews regarding their perspectives on how the environment influences their health.

Results

Qualitative analyses revealed five major thematic categories: environmental exposures, environmental health sentiments, environmental health outcomes, interest in environmental health and environmental health solutions. We used the findings to develop an environmental health perspective theoretical framework that can inform future work designed to promote the environmental health and well-being of children from low-income communities in urban communities.

Conclusion

Photovoice enabled children from low-income communities to capture and communicate their environmental health perceptions. These findings have the potential to inform and identify potential targets and opportunities for environmental health interventions and promotion in their communities.

Patient or Public Contribution

Partnerships with community-based organizations were central to the present study. By design, these community-based partners were involved in the conduct and procedures of the study.     

Intersectoral action for health at a municipal level in Cuba

Objective  

To consider how Cuba’s acknowledged achievement of excellent health outcomes may relate to how health determinants are addressed intersectorally.     

Reflections on the contributions of self-advocates to an interdisciplinary leadership development program for graduate students in health affairs

Background

To advance equity and to enhance leadership skills, self-advocates with intellectual/developmental disabilities are now part of the cohort of trainees in the University of North Carolina LEND, which means that they fully participate in the Interdisciplinary Leadership Development Program, a collaboration among programs in public health, social work, and LEND, which meets monthly.

Exploring the role of GIS during community health assessment problem solving: experiences of public health professionals

Background  

A Community health assessment (CHA) involves the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in conjunction with other software to analyze health and population data and perform numerical-spatial problem solving. There has been little research on identifying how public health professionals integrate this software during typical problem solving scenarios. A better understanding of this is needed to answer the "What" and the "How". The "What" identifies the specific software being used and the "How" explains the way they are integrated together during problem solving steps. This level of understanding will highlight the role of GIS utilization during problem solving and suggest to developers how GIS can be enhanced to better support data analysis during community health assessment.     

Health sector reforms and human resources for health in Uganda and Bangladesh: mechanisms of effect

Background  

Despite the expanding literature on how reforms may affect health workers and which reactions they may provoke, little research has been conducted on the mechanisms of effect through which health sector reforms either promote or discourage health worker performance. This paper seeks to trace these mechanisms and examines the contextual framework of reform objectives in Uganda and Bangladesh, and health workers' responses to the changes in their working environments by taking a 'realistic evaluation' approach.