Facilitating Clinician-Initiated Research: A Program of a Research Institute Based in a Nursing Home

Abstract

This article describes the processes, scope, strengths, and weaknesses involved in the development of a program aimed at facilitating clinician-initiated research in a nursing home. The benefits such a program provides to clinicians, residents, researchers, and the institution are discussed, and examples of specific programs are provided. Some of the general areas that need to be addressed in making such a program successful include bridging the gap between the clinician's and the researcher's orientation, generating a working agreement regarding division of work and benefits, and developing a resourceful, creative, and realistic approach to the limitation of resources. Despite these obstacles, this program offers unique opportunities for narrowing the gap between research and practice to benefit both.