. 2024 Dec;71(12):1646-1652.

doi: 10.1007/s12630-024-02883-2. Epub 2024 Dec 17.

Developing a toolkit for building a community hospital clinical research program

Kian Rego^{1

2}, Elaina Orlando^{1

2}, Patrick Archambault^{3

4}, Anna Geagea⁵, Anish R Mitra⁶, Gloria Vazquez-Grande⁷, Rosa M Marticorena⁸, Lisa Patterson⁹, Giulio DiDiodato¹⁰, Oleksa G Rewa¹¹, Janek Senaratne^{11

12}, Madelyn Law², Alexandra Binnie^#^{13

14}, Jennifer Tsang^#^{9

15}

Affiliations

¹ Research Department, Niagara Health, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.
² Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.
³ Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
⁴ Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système de santé apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Levis, QC, Canada.
⁵ North York General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁶ Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
⁷ Section of Critical Care Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MN, Canada.
⁸ William Osler Health System, Brampton, ON, Canada.
⁹ Division of Critical Care, Niagara Health, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.
¹⁰ Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, Barrie, ON, Canada.
¹¹ Department of Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
¹² Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
¹³ William Osler Health System, Brampton, ON, Canada. pabinnie@ualg.pt.
¹⁴ Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal. pabinnie@ualg.pt.
¹⁵ Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 39690356
PMCID: PMC11666650
DOI: 10.1007/s12630-024-02883-2

Developing a toolkit for building a community hospital clinical research program

Kian Rego et al. Can J Anaesth. 2024 Dec.

. 2024 Dec;71(12):1646-1652.

doi: 10.1007/s12630-024-02883-2. Epub 2024 Dec 17.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Research Department, Niagara Health, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.
² Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.
³ Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
⁴ Centre de recherche intégrée pour un système de santé apprenant en santé et services sociaux, Centre intégré de santé et services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches, Levis, QC, Canada.
⁵ North York General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁶ Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
⁷ Section of Critical Care Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MN, Canada.
⁸ William Osler Health System, Brampton, ON, Canada.
⁹ Division of Critical Care, Niagara Health, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.
¹⁰ Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, Barrie, ON, Canada.
¹¹ Department of Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
¹² Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
¹³ William Osler Health System, Brampton, ON, Canada. pabinnie@ualg.pt.
¹⁴ Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal. pabinnie@ualg.pt.
¹⁵ Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 39690356
PMCID: PMC11666650
DOI: 10.1007/s12630-024-02883-2

Abstract
in English, French

Purpose: Although health research in Canada is primarily conducted in academic hospitals, most patients receive their care in community hospitals. The benefits of increasing research capacity in community hospitals include improved study recruitment, increased generalizability of results, broader patient access to novel therapies, better patient outcomes, enhanced staff satisfaction, and improved organizational efficiency. Nevertheless, building research programs in community hospitals remains challenging because of a lack of support and expertise. To address this gap, we developed a toolkit to help community hospital professionals build and sustain their community hospital research programs.

Source: The toolkit was developed by the Canadian Community Intensive Care Unit Research Network (CCIRNet), a group of clinician-researchers and research staff from community hospitals across Canada who have experience building community hospital research programs. Feedback from a concurrent qualitative study of Canadian community critical care professionals informed the toolkit's design.

Principal findings: The CCIRNet toolkit outlines five stages of community hospital clinical research program development: 1) building a research team and gaining support, 2) developing a new research program, 3) choosing a first research study, 4) getting the study up and running, and 5) sustaining a research program. Feedback from qualitative interviews emphasized the need for a step-by-step approach, frequently asked questions, and essential resources. Accordingly, each stage is structured in a question-and-answer format and includes relevant resources for each section.

Conclusion: The CCIRNet toolkit is a practical resource for establishing research programs in community hospitals. The toolkit may increase research participation and support clinical research capacity building in community hospitals.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Bien que la recherche en santé au Canada soit principalement menée dans des hôpitaux universitaires, la plupart des patient·es reçoivent leurs soins dans des hôpitaux communautaires. Les avantages de l’augmentation de la capacité de recherche dans les hôpitaux communautaires comprennent un meilleur recrutement pour les études, une plus grande généralisabilité des résultats, un meilleur accès des patient·es à de nouvelles thérapies, de meilleurs devenirs pour les patient·es, une plus grande satisfaction du personnel et une efficacité organisationnelle accrue. Néanmoins, l’élaboration de programmes de recherche dans les hôpitaux communautaires demeure difficile en raison d’un manque de soutien et d’expertise. Pour combler cette lacune, nous avons mis au point une boîte à outils pour aider les professionnel·les des hôpitaux communautaires à élaborer et à maintenir leurs programmes de recherche en milieu hospitalier.

Sources: La boîte à outils a été mise au point par le Réseau communautaire canadien de recherche sur les soins intensifs (CCIRNet), un groupe de clinicien·nes-chercheur·es et de membres du personnel de recherche d’hôpitaux communautaires provenant des quatre coins du Canada et ayant de l’expérience dans l’élaboration de programmes de recherche en milieu hospitalier. Les commentaires recueillis dans le cadre d’une étude qualitative simultanée menée auprès de professionnel·les des soins intensifs communautaires canadiens ont éclairé la conception de la boîte à outils.

Constatations principales: La boîte à outils du CCIRNet décrit les cinq étapes de l’élaboration d’un programme de recherche clinique dans un hôpital communautaire : 1) la constitution d’une équipe de recherche et l’obtention de soutien, 2) la mise au point d’un nouveau programme de recherche, 3) le choix d’une première étude de recherche, 4) la mise en place et le lancement de l’étude, et 5) le maintien d’un programme de recherche. Les commentaires recueillis lors des entrevues qualitatives ont souligné la nécessité d’une approche par étapes, d’une foire aux questions et de ressources essentielles. Chaque étape est donc structurée sous forme de questions-réponses et comprend des ressources pertinentes pour chaque section.

Conclusion: La boîte à outils du CCIRNet est une ressource pratique pour mettre en oeuvre des programmes de recherche dans les hôpitaux communautaires. Cette boîte à outils pourrait accroître la participation à la recherche et soutenir le renforcement des capacités de recherche clinique dans les hôpitaux communautaires.

Keywords: community hospitals; critical care; research capacity; research program; toolkit.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

References

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1. Gehrke P, Binnie A, Chan SP, et al. Fostering community hospital research. CMAJ 2019; 191: E962–6. 10.1503/cmaj.190055 - PMC - PubMed
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Developing a toolkit for building a community hospital clinical research program

Affiliations

Developing a toolkit for building a community hospital clinical research program

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract
in English, French

Conflict of interest statement

References

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Miscellaneous

Abstract in English, French

Conflict of interest statement

References

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Miscellaneous

Abstract
in English, French