Department of Health Management and Economics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (International campus), ᅟTehran, Iran.
Health Management and Social Development Research Center, Golestan university of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
Health Res Policy Syst. 2018 Jul 2;16(1):57. doi: 10.1186/s12961-018-0313-1.
Priority-setting is a complicated and time-consuming process; however, if appropriately conducted, it could efficiently divert resources to the most important studies. A considerable body of evidence indicates that priority-setting measures in health research taken so far in Iran have not satisfied decision-makers, policy-makers, funders, communities, or even researchers. This study was designed to explore the flaws of these measures and their deciding factors.
We conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 key participants and used a thematic data-analysis approach to analyse verbatim transcripts and documents. Our interviewees, who were skilful at conducting health research and worked as managers at different levels of the health system, were selected using a purposeful sampling. We asked about their experiences of priority-setting in health and relevant challenges and asked for recommendations. These semi-structured interviews were taped, transcribed and analysed in terms of content and themes using the MAXQDA10 qualitative data-analysis software.
With regard to priority-setting facilitators and barriers, four themes were extracted, namely managerial factors, structural factors, motivational factors, and process factors. Managers' commitment, consideration of intellectual property, compliance with superordinate rules, and provision of a definition of reliable criteria were among the facilitators. The rapid turnover of managers, inefficiency of criteria for faculty promotion, and disregard of appeal mechanisms were examples of the barriers.
It is important to consider appropriate regulations and motivations to provide research priorities and divert scarce resources to them. In addition, it is necessary to improve the knowledge and skills of researchers and research administration offices on priority-setting methods, thereby enhancing priority-oriented research projects.
优先排序是一个复杂且耗时的过程；然而，如果进行得当，它可以有效地将资源转移到最重要的研究中。相当多的证据表明，迄今为止，伊朗在卫生研究中采取的优先排序措施并未令决策者、政策制定者、资助者、社区甚至研究人员满意。本研究旨在探讨这些措施的缺陷及其决定因素。
我们对 23 名关键参与者进行了半结构式访谈，并使用主题数据分析方法对逐字记录和文件进行了分析。我们的受访者在卫生研究方面经验丰富，并且在卫生系统的不同级别担任管理人员，我们通过有目的的抽样选择了他们。我们询问了他们在卫生保健中的优先排序经验以及相关挑战，并征求了建议。这些半结构式访谈被录音、转录，并使用 MAXQDA10 定性数据分析软件从内容和主题两方面进行了分析。
关于优先排序的促进因素和障碍，提取了四个主题，即管理因素、结构因素、激励因素和过程因素。管理者的承诺、知识产权的考虑、遵守上级规则以及提供可靠标准的定义是促进因素。管理者的快速更替、教师晋升标准的低效率以及忽视申诉机制则是障碍的例子。
重要的是要考虑适当的规定和动机，以确定研究重点，并将稀缺资源转移到这些重点上。此外，有必要提高研究人员和研究管理办公室在优先排序方法方面的知识和技能，从而增强以优先为导向的研究项目。
