Journal article
Consumer involvement in health service research: a cross-sectional survey of staff in an Australian public hospital and health service
Australian Health Review, Vol.49(1), pp.1-9
26/08/2024
PMID: 39183053
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Abstract
Objective: Consumer involvement is when patients (their families, friends, and caregivers) work with researchers on research projects. While health services are expected to support consumer–researcher collaborations, conducive environments still need to be developed, with limited research into how Australian health services support this practice. This study explores current consumer involvement in research activity and staff perceptions at an Australian tertiary hospital and health service.
Methods: Research-active employees at a health service were invited to participate in an online cross-sectional survey. It assessed experience with and confidence in involving consumers in research, the perceived value of consumer involvement, and considerations related to challenges, facilitators, and solutions to enhance consumer involvement in health service research.
Results: Among 83 respondents, including medical, nursing, and allied health professionals, 54 completed the survey. Approximately half had experience with involving consumers in research. Over 80% recognised that involving consumers enhanced research relevance. Identified barriers included challenges in finding (46.6%) and compensating (59.3%) consumers, as well as deficiencies in researcher skills, knowledge (32.2%), and time constraints (39%). Facilitators comprised access to experienced researchers and educational opportunities. Moreover, 87% advocated for increased support to involve consumers within health services, with the appointment of a designated consumer involvement officer deemed the most beneficial solution by 92.5% of respondents.
Conclusions: While individual barriers inhibit consumer involvement in research, more prominent institutional factors such as financial and technical support may determine successful and meaningful collaborations. As health services evolve towards co-design models in research, the outcomes of this study will guide initiatives aimed at enhancing consumer involvement in the research process within Australian health services.
Details
- Title
- Consumer involvement in health service research: a cross-sectional survey of staff in an Australian public hospital and health service
- Creators
- Laura Ryan - Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service (Gold Coast, Queensland)Laetitia Hattingh - Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service (Gold Coast, Queensland)Joan Carlini - Griffith UniversityKelly A. Weir - University of MelbourneMargaret Shapiro - Griffith UniversityNoela Baglot - Griffith UniversityMagnolia Cardona - UNSW SydneyGeorgia Tobiano - Griffith UniversityRachel Muir - Griffith UniversityShelley Roberts - Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service (Gold Coast, Queensland)Sally Sargeant - Southern Cross UniversityRachel Wenke - Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service (Gold Coast, Queensland)
- Publication Details
- Australian Health Review, Vol.49(1), pp.1-9
- Publisher
- CSIRO Publishing
- Number of pages
- 9
- Grant note
- Small Research Project Grant from the Gold Coast Health Study, Education, Research Trust Account (SERTA). Gold Coast Health's Allied Health Research Department
- Identifiers
- 991013291555402368
- Copyright
- © 2025 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of AHHA. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
- Academic Unit
- Human Sciences; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article