title: Clinical research potential in Victorian hospitals: the Victorian clinician researcher needs analysis survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The 2012 McKeon Review highlighted the role of clinician researchers in patient based research and the need to foster this capacity. While anecdotal evidence suggests that clinician researchers are under threat and underfunded, Australian data on barriers and enablers of clinician-led research are scant.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe (i) characteristics of clinician researchers; (ii) for research-active clinicians: areas of research, barriers/enablers of research and factors associated with funding success; and (iii) for research-inactive clinicians: enablers of future research.
  
  
  METHODS
  An online survey distributed through the Bio21 Cluster to clinicians (doctors, nurses, allied health professionals) in 15 Victorian hospitals between November 2011 and January 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven hundred and seventy of 1027 (75%) of respondents were research-active and were more likely to be male, medical doctors, aged 45-54 years, to work full-time and have a higher degree (all P < 0.01). Of clinicians with a higher degree, 28% were research-inactive. Clinicians identified protected research time (50%), designated research space (42%), clinical trial coordinators (35%), institutional funding (34%) and mentoring (33%) as critical enablers of research. Research-inactive clinicians identified protected research time as the key enabler of future research.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To realise recommendations in the McKeon Review, hospitals and research bodies will need to protect research time and provide space and funding. Engaging research-inactive clinicians will build research capacity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hiscock
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ledgerwood
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Danchin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ekinci
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D016304:Hospitals, Private / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012958:Societies, Scientific; D014739:Victoria; D000078329:Workforce; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: clinical research; health services research; hospital based research; nursing research; translational medicine research