Prioritising health research in KwaZulu-Natal: has the research conducted met the research needs?-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Prioritising health research in KwaZulu-Natal: has the research conducted met the research needs?

Published:2020-03-18 Issue:1 Volume:18 Page:
ISSN:1478-4505
Container-title:Health Research Policy and Systems
language:en
Short-container-title:Health Res Policy Sys

Author:

Khumalo G.,Desai R.,Xaba X.,Moshabela M.,Essack S.,Lutge E.

Abstract

Abstract Background The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Health Act of 2009 mandates the Provincial Health Research and Ethics Committee to develop health research priorities for the province. During 2013, the KZN Department of Health embarked on a research prioritisation process for the province. Priority research questions were generated by an inclusive process, in which a variety of stakeholders in health research in the province were engaged. The aim of this study was to determine whether research conducted at public health facilities in KZN between 01 January 2014 and 31 March 2017 met the research priorities of the province developed through the provincial research prioritisation process of 2013. Methods This was a mixed methods study. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to categorise priority research questions generated in the priority-setting process and the titles of research projects conducted after that process into themes. Quantitative analysis was used to determine the correlation between themes of the priority questions, and those of the research projects conducted after the prioritisation exercise. Statistical Package for Social Science version 25 was used to analyse the data. Results In 72% of thematic areas, there were disproportionately more priority questions than there were research projects conducted. There is thus a large disjuncture between the priorities developed through the provincial research prioritisation process of 2013 and the research projects conducted after that process in terms of major research areas. Conclusions Ensuring that research conducted responds to priority questions raised is important because it ensures that research responds to locally important issues and to the concerns of local actors. Local health managers, communities and researchers should work together to ensure that the research conducted in their areas respond to the research priorities of those areas. Health Research Committees and local ethics committees can play important roles in facilitating the responsiveness to research priorities.

Funder

KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Subject

Health Policy

Link

http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12961-020-0538-7.pdf

Reference14 articles.

1. Department of Health South Africa. National department of health strategic plan 2010/11-2012/13. Pretoria: Department of Health South Africa; 2010. http://www.nationalplanningcycles.org/sites/default/files/country_docs/South%20Africa/south_africa_strategic_health_plan_2010-2013.pdf. Accessed 4 Mar 2019.

2. Provincial Planning Commission. 2035 provincial growth & development strategy: building a better future together. Pietermaritzburg: Office of the Premier; 2016. http://www.kznonline.gov.za/images/Downloads/Publications/ppc.pdf. Accessed 4 Mar 2019.

3. Parliament South Africa. National Health Act No 61 of 2003. Pretoria: Government Printers. 2004. Available at: https://www.up.ac.za/media/shared/12/ZP_Files/health-act.zp122778.pdf. Accessed 25 Feb 2020.

4. KwaZulu-Natal Health Act, 2009 (Act No. 01 of 2009), (2009).

5. Bradshaw D, Groenewald P, Laubscher R, Nannan N, Nojilana B, Norman R, et al. Initial burden of disease estimates for South Africa, 2000. S Afr Med J. 2003;93(9):682–8.