Restructuring health services delivery research: a community-based model.
As management of acute illness shifts to the community from tertiary care centres, there is a need for community-based research into the delivery of health services. One author is the coordinator of a health services delivery research unit located in a community health centre as well as the director of research in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University. The other author is a member of the administration of the sponsoring institution. The research unit, created in 1994, has close links with the sponsoring hospital, a research centre and the faculty of health sciences at a nearby university. Its staff has grown from 2 to 12 members, mainly as a result of grant support. Its aim is to improve the delivery of community-based health services, and to this end it conducts research in collaboration with programs at the health centre, stakeholder groups, communities and institutions. Research projects have been undertaken in clinical guidelines, women's health, mature adults' health, medication use and new technologies for screening. As an example, concern about chlamydial infections in women in the community led to research into burden of illness, diagnosis, screening methods, test technologies, validation of guidelines and provider behaviors. In the future, funding will be a major concern. The authors contend that more funding from such agencies as the Medical Research Council of Canada should flow to community-based research.
Sellors
J W
JW
Health Services Delivery Research Unit, St. Joseph's Community Health Centre, Hamilton, Ont. sellors@fhs.mcmaster.ca
Mitchell
C
C
D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000628:therapy; D003151:Community Health Centers; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario