King Olivia A, Beks Hannah, Beauchamp Alison, Namara Kevin Mc, Sayner Alesha M, West Emma, Shee Anna Wong
Western Alliance, Warrnambool, Australia.
Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2025 Sep 12;25(1):1198. doi: 10.1186/s12913-025-13336-x.
Embedding researchers in healthcare settings is a strategy used to close the gap between research and practice. Existing research pays little attention to the factors related to the implementation, development, and outcomes of embedded researcher programs in rural healthcare settings. There are additional challenges to embedding research in rural health practice, including enduring workforce shortages and limited research resources. This case study aimed to describe the implementation, development, and the types of outcomes of a rural and regional embedded researcher program, comprising three research translation coordinator (RTC) roles implemented in rural health services by an academic health science centre (AHSC).
This exploratory case study was informed by multiple data sources: the RTCs (n = 4; 100%); their employing health service chief executive officers (n = 3; 100%), and the implementing AHSC's executive officers (n = 2; 100%). Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews, RTCs' written activity reports, and impact case examples developed by the RTCs. Data were analysed using a team-based five stage framework approach.
Data collected included eight semi-structured interviews, fifteen activity reports and six impact case examples. Analysis of these data informed three themes and sub-themes: (1) Enabling and challenging implementation factors coded to two sub-themes (Rural health service ownership and Region-wide implementation) (2), Development of the rural embedded research translation coordinator role, comprising three sub-themes (Emerging and responsive to health service needs; Supporting translation of research, and Engaging strategic partners, and (3) Types of outcomes of the rural embedded research translation coordinator program at four levels (Rural clinician-researcher; Rural RTC; Organisation, and Region-wide or AHSC-levels).
The rural embedded researcher program represents an evolving, yet ostensibly successful initiative implemented across a large rural and regional area. The RTCs were employed by and accountable to a rural health service, and worked as a team while simultaneously collaborating with partner regional health services and universities. This rural health-service driven embedded researcher program operated within a collectivist framework to produce different types of outcomes for clinicians and researchers, health services, and the region. These findings will inform policymakers and organisations concerned with improving research and practice in rural and other resource-constrained health settings.
将研究人员融入医疗保健环境是一种用于弥合研究与实践之间差距的策略。现有研究很少关注农村医疗保健环境中嵌入式研究人员项目的实施、发展及成果相关因素。将研究融入农村卫生实践还存在其他挑战，包括长期劳动力短缺和研究资源有限。本案例研究旨在描述一个农村和地区嵌入式研究人员项目的实施、发展及成果类型，该项目由一所学术健康科学中心（AHSC）在农村卫生服务机构中设立了三个研究转化协调员（RTC）职位。
本探索性案例研究采用了多种数据来源：研究转化协调员（n = 4；100%）；他们所在的卫生服务机构的首席执行官（n = 3；100%），以及实施该项目的学术健康科学中心的执行官（n = 2；100%）。通过半结构化访谈、研究转化协调员的书面活动报告以及研究转化协调员编写的影响案例进行数据收集。使用基于团队的五阶段框架方法对数据进行分析。
收集的数据包括八次半结构化访谈、十五份活动报告和六个影响案例。对这些数据的分析得出了三个主题和子主题：（1）促进和具有挑战性的实施因素，分为两个子主题（农村卫生服务所有权和区域范围实施）；（2）农村嵌入式研究转化协调员角色的发展，包括三个子主题（新兴且响应卫生服务需求；支持研究转化，以及吸引战略合作伙伴）；（3）农村嵌入式研究转化协调员项目在四个层面（农村临床医生 - 研究人员；农村研究转化协调员；组织，以及区域范围或学术健康科学中心层面）的成果类型。
农村嵌入式研究人员项目是一项在广大农村和地区实施的不断发展但表面上成功的举措。研究转化协调员受雇于农村卫生服务机构并对其负责，作为一个团队工作，同时与区域卫生服务合作伙伴和大学合作。这个由农村卫生服务驱动的嵌入式研究人员项目在集体主义框架内运作，为临床医生和研究人员、卫生服务机构以及该地区产生了不同类型的成果。这些发现将为关注改善农村和其他资源受限卫生环境中的研究与实践的政策制定者和组织提供参考。
