C. Charles et al., INVOLVING STAKEHOLDERS IN HEALTH-SERVICES RESEARCH - DEVELOPING ALBERTA RESIDENT CLASSIFICATION-SYSTEM FOR LONG-TERM-CARE FACILITIES, International journal of health services, 24(4), 1994, pp. 749-761
Little attention has been directed in Canada to identifying stakeholde
rs at the administrative policy level to whom relevant health services
research information can be targeted. This article describes a case s
tudy in which key stakeholders (long-term care facility owners, operat
ors, and care providers) were explicitly defined not only as targets o
f original research information to inform administrative public policy
but also as collaborators in the research process and dissemination o
f results. The research involved development of a classification syste
m to measure resident care requirements in the province's nursing home
s and auxiliary hospitals. The classification system formed the basis
of a new government administrative policy for allocating public funds
to these facilities based on levels of care. The authors describe the
rationale for involving stakeholders in the research process, the role
of stakeholders as collaborators, and lessons learned from the Albert
a experience. Examples are presented of how stakeholders can contribut
e to the health services research process and outcome: by providing ex
periential knowledge related to the research outcome, anticipating and
overcoming potential problems with policy implementation, facilitatin
g policy-oriented learning across stakeholder groups, assisting in the
transfer of research information to wider stakeholder audiences, and
promoting acceptance for policy change.