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. 2015 Oct 14:15:468.
doi: 10.1186/s12913-015-1130-7.

A method for measuring individual research productivity in hospitals: development and feasibility

Caterina Caminiti  1 , Elisa Iezzi  2 , Caterina Ghetti  3 , Gianluigi De' Angelis  4 , Carlo Ferrari  5
Affiliations

A method for measuring individual research productivity in hospitals: development and feasibility

Caterina Caminiti et al. BMC Health Serv Res. .

Abstract

Background: Research capacity is a prerequisite for any health care institution intending to provide high-quality care, yet, few clinicians engage in research, and their work is rarely recognized. To make research an institutional activity, it could be helpful to measure health care professionals' research performance. However, a comprehensive approach to do this is lacking.

Methods: We conducted a literature analysis to determine how best to assess research performance. Our method was not restricted to bibliometric and citation parameters, as is usually the case, but also including "hidden" activities, generally not considered in research performance evaluations.

Results: A set of 12 easily retrievable indicators was used and corresponding points assigned according to a weighting system intended to reflect the effort estimated to perform each activity. We observed a highly skewed score distribution, with a minority of health care professionals performing well across the indicators. The highest score was recorded for scientific papers (768/1098 points, 70%). Twenty percent of researchers at our institution generated 50% of points.

Conclusions: We develop a simple method for measuring research performance, which could be rapidly implemented in health care institutions. It is hoped that the proposed method might be useful for promoting research and guiding resource allocation, although further evaluations are needed to confirm the method's utility.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
a (Research output for each HCP belonging to the area) – SURGERY UNITS. b (Research output for each HCP belonging to the area) – DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES. c (Research output for each HCP belonging to the area) – EMERGENCY MEDICINE. d (Research output for each HCP belonging to the area) – GENERAL MEDICINE, GERIATRICS AND REHABILITATION. e (Research output for each HCP belonging to the area) – SPECIALIZED MEDICINE. f (Research output for each HCP belonging to the area) – PEDIATRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Score frequency distribution
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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