Day Suzanne, Mason Robin, Tannenbaum Cara, Rochon Paula A
Women's Xchange, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
PLoS One. 2017 Aug 30;12(8):e0182812. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182812. eCollection 2017.
Integrating sex and gender in health research is essential to produce the best possible evidence to inform health care. Comprehensive integration of sex and gender requires considering these variables from the very beginning of the research process, starting at the proposal stage. To promote excellence in sex and gender integration, we have developed a set of metrics to assess the quality of sex and gender integration in research proposals. These metrics are designed to assist both researchers in developing proposals and reviewers in making funding decisions. We developed this tool through an iterative three-stage method involving 1) review of existing sex and gender integration resources and initial metrics design, 2) expert review and feedback via anonymous online survey (Likert scale and open-ended questions), and 3) analysis of feedback data and collective revision of the metrics. We received feedback on the initial metrics draft from 20 reviewers with expertise in conducting sex- and/or gender-based health research. The majority of reviewers responded positively to questions regarding the utility, clarity and completeness of the metrics, and all reviewers provided responses to open-ended questions about suggestions for improvements. Coding and analysis of responses identified three domains for improvement: clarifying terminology, refining content, and broadening applicability. Based on this analysis we revised the metrics into the Essential Metrics for Assessing Sex and Gender Integration in Health Research Proposals Involving Human Participants, which outlines criteria for excellence within each proposal component and provides illustrative examples to support implementation. By enhancing the quality of sex and gender integration in proposals, the metrics will help to foster comprehensive, meaningful integration of sex and gender throughout each stage of the research process, resulting in better quality evidence to inform health care for all.
将性别因素纳入健康研究对于产生最优质的证据以指导医疗保健至关重要。全面纳入性别因素需要从研究过程的最初阶段，即提案阶段开始就考虑这些变量。为了促进性别因素纳入方面的卓越性，我们制定了一套指标来评估研究提案中性别因素纳入的质量。这些指标旨在帮助研究人员撰写提案以及评审人员做出资助决策。我们通过一个迭代的三阶段方法开发了这个工具，该方法包括：1）审查现有的性别因素纳入资源并进行初始指标设计；2）通过匿名在线调查（李克特量表和开放式问题）征求专家意见和反馈；3）分析反馈数据并对指标进行集体修订。我们收到了20位在进行基于性别的和/或基于性别的健康研究方面具有专业知识的评审人员对初始指标草案的反馈。大多数评审人员对关于指标的实用性、清晰度和完整性的问题给予了积极回应，并且所有评审人员都对关于改进建议的开放式问题提供了答复。对答复的编码和分析确定了三个需要改进的领域：澄清术语、完善内容和扩大适用性。基于这一分析，我们将指标修订为《涉及人类受试者的健康研究提案中评估性别因素纳入的基本指标》，该指标概述了每个提案组成部分内的卓越标准，并提供了说明性示例以支持实施。通过提高提案中性别因素纳入的质量，这些指标将有助于在研究过程的每个阶段促进全面、有意义的性别因素纳入，从而产生更高质量的证据以指导所有人的医疗保健。
