Background
Healthcare organisations that are more research-active demonstrate improved processes of care (e.g., treatment access, adherence to best practice) (Boaz et al., 2015), the reporting of fewer adverse events (Ozdemir et al, 2015), and reduced staff turnover (Harding et al., 2017). There is less evidence, however, of the benefits directly reported by health care staff themselves. These may include ‘hidden benefits’, beyond career development, like job satisfaction.
To address this, the YHARC, collaborating with improvement and Implementation leads from the Greater Manchester, East Midlands, Northeast and North Cumbria, and South London ARCs, as well as THIS Institute, did a scoping review. The aim was to identify the different ways staff are involved in applied health and care research, and the benefits experienced.
Methods
We searched four databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Scopus, supplemented by a grey literature search. Records had to be UK-based, published in English between 2003 and 2023, and focus on applied health and care research, health or care staff involvement, and report on benefits.
Text was extracted from records, including type of involvement (e.g., from less intense research participation, through to the more intense clinical academic roles), type of record (e.g., reflective opinion piece, survey article, blog), professional roles of staff involved, and the benefits. The extracts were distilled into categories.
Findings
Forty-nine records were retained. Records were most commonly journal articles (n=40), covering mixed professional groups (n=25), and focussed on clinical academic roles (n=21). Nonetheless, a range of professional roles were represented, albeit with the notable absence of social care staff, and a range of different types and levels of involvement, including research internships and data collection roles. Six benefits were distilled (please see our summary document or published paper for further details):
- Personal fulfilment
- Opportunities for leading improvements in practice
- Building connections and networks
- Opportunities for learning
- General skills and competencies
- Using evidence effectively
Conclusions
These findings support ongoing efforts to involve staff in research, from the more to the less intense, given the range of benefits distilled even when research was not a fundamental component of the job. Records provided examples of people thriving on research, the buffering effects of research compared with the stresses of daily clinical practice, and the development of communication and project management skills alongside research skills.
Given the backdrop of staff retention challenges in health and social care, it is vital to be able to demonstrate the full plethora of benefits, if staff are to be supported to spend time on activities other than direct patient care. Efforts should also be made to promote this broad range of benefits, beyond career development, as levers to encourage staff to become involved in research.
Resources
Below we provide 2 short blubs summarising in brief the key findings of relevance particularly to NHS managers, and wellbeing leads. We also provide a short recording summarising the study, and a link to the published paper.
