The use of research in local health service agencies

A critical and often overlooked component of the use and transfer of resear ch in the health care system is the local health and social service deliver y agency. There is also very little understanding of the extent to which lo cal community-based agencies conduct research internally to improve their o perational capacity. More than ever, these local service organizations requ ire research to guide activity in a rapidly changing health care environmen t which is characterized by diminishing health and social service budgets, de-institutionalization and concomitant increases and metamorphoses in serv ice demands. This study interviewed 25 executive directors and held a focus group with a group of other directors to examine the use and transfer of r esearch in these organizations. A number of central issues were identified by the directors that affect the contribution of research to the delivery o f their programs and services. A conceptual model for developing 'locally-b ased research transfer' was subsequently outlined that could serve as the b asis for enhanced research use and research transfer in other local area co ntexts. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.