Monday 21 May 2012

Please. No. More. Research. We. Need. Action.

Now before you send me a complaint, I'll start by saying I do believe that research is a good thing. However, we can have too much of a good thing.

The February Editorial in Implementation Science pitches the question as to whether we need a scientific study for research on how to improve healthcare. Here are my thoughts:

  • I am not convinced we need any more "what" when it comes to improvement; we are drowning in good practice, guidelines etc.
  • When it comes to the how" then I'm more interested in getting people to the "do" stage of making changes, than in spending more time pondering how best to go about it.  By doing, the people learn.
  • Researchers, and I'm a closet researcher so I know, tend to be separated from the real world in time and space. 
  • I suspect we have 80% of the "how" that we need to improve healthcare. What we lack are the people within healthcare who are sufficiently motivated to make the changes - or get out of the way of people who are motivated to make the change


Implement Sci. 2012 Feb 29;7:10.
Does the world need a scientific society for research on how to improve healthcare?
Wensing MGrimshaw JMEccles MP.

2 comments:

Harry Longman said...

If only you were right Sarah. However, I see some very big ticket projects going on which are not based on research, but on gut feel or something else, and the research tells us they are counterproductive.
Yes, let's have the action, but based on, and continually informed by, research.

Harry Longman said...

If only you were right Sarah. However, I see some very big ticket projects going on which are not based on research, but on gut feel or something else, and the research tells us they are counterproductive.
Yes, let's have the action, but based on, and continually informed by, research.