A Feasibility Study Of Administering The Electronic Research And Development Culture Index To The Multidisciplinary Workforce In A UK Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Rachel Hollis,1 Steven J Ersser,2 Heather Iles-Smith,3,4 Linda Jane Milnes,5 Theresa Munyombwe,6 Cilla Sanders,5 Veronica Swallow5 1The Children’s Hospital, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK; 2Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK; 3Research and Innovation, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK; 4Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; 5School of Healthcare, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; 6School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UKCorrespondence: Rachel HollisPaediatric Oncology Offices, Martin Wing, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds LS1 2EX, UKTel [phone]Email [email protected]: The study aims were: (i) to convert the Research and Development Culture Index (a validated rating instrument for assessing the strength of organizational Research and Development culture) into electronic format (eR&DCI), and (ii) to test the format and assess the feasibility of administering it to the multidisciplinary (allied health professionals, doctors and nurses) workforce in a National Health Service Hospital (NHS) in the United Kingdom (UK) by trialing it with the workforce of the tertiary Children’s Hospital within the organization.Population and methods: The eR&DCI was emailed to all professional staff (n=907) in the Children’s Hospital. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 22.Results: The eR&DCI was completed by 155 respondents (doctors n=38 (24.52%), nurses n=79 (50.96%) and allied health professionals (AHPs) n=38 (24.52%)). The response rate varied by professional group: responses were received from 79 out of 700 nurses (11%); 38 out of 132 doctors (29%) and 38 out of 76 AHPs (50%). Index scores demonstrated a positive research culture within the multidisciplinary workforce. Survey responses demonstrated differences between the professions related to research training and engagement in formal research activities.Conclusion: This is the first study to assess the feasibility of assessing the strength of an organization’s multidisciplinary workforce research and development (R&D) culture by surveying that workforce using the eR&DCI. We converted the index to “Online Surveys” and successfully administered it to the entire multidisciplinary workforce in the Children’s Hospital. We met our criteria for feasibility: ability to administer the survey and a response rate comparable with similar studies. Uptake could have been increased by also offering the option of the paper-based index for self-administration. Results of the survey are informing delivery of the research strategy in the Children’s Hospital. This methodology has potential application in other healthcare contexts.Keywords: research capacity, research capability, allied health professionals, doctors, nurses, R&D Culture Index

Keywords

• research capacity
• research capability
• allied health professionals
• doctors
• nurses
• r&d culture index.