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Guidance for research-practice partnerships (R-PPs) and collaborative research

John Ovretveit (Medical Management Center (MMC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden)
Susanne Hempel (RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA)
Jennifer L. Magnabosco (VA QUERI California Mental Health Services Authority, Los Angeles, California, USA and Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA)
Brian S. Mittman (VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA, VA QUERI Center for Implementation Practice and Research Support, Sepulveda, California, USA, and Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research and Evaluation, Oakland, California, USA)
Lisa V. Rubenstein (VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA, VA QUERI Center for Implementation Practice and Research Support, Sepulveda, California, USA, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, USA and RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA)
David A. Ganz (VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, USA, VA QUERI Center for Implementation Practice and Research Support, Sepulveda, California, USA, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, USA and RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA)

Journal of Health Organization and Management

ISSN: 1477-7266

Article publication date: 11 March 2014

953

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence based guidance to researchers and practice personnel about forming and carrying out effective research partnerships.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of the literature, interviews and discussions with colleagues in both research and practice roles, and a review of the authors' personal experiences as researchers in partnership research.

Findings

Partnership research is, in some respects, a distinct “approach” to research, but there are many different versions. An analysis of research publications and of their research experience led the authors to develop a framework for planning and assessing the partnership research process, which includes defining expected outcomes for the partners, their roles, and steps in the research process.

Practical implications

This review and analysis provides guidance that may reduce commonly-reported misunderstandings and help to plan more successful partnerships and projects. It also identifies future research which is needed to define more precisely the questions and purposes for which partnership research is most appropriate, and methods and designs for specific types of partnership research.

Originality/value

As more research moves towards increased participation of practitioners and patients in the research process, more precise and differentiated understanding of the different partnership approaches is required, and when each is most suitable. This article describes research approaches that have the potential to reduce “the research-practice gap”. It gives evidence- and experience-based guidance for choosing and establishing a partnership research process, so as to improve partnership relationship-building and more actionable research.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Roberta Shanman, Lopamudra Das, Jodi Lui, and Tanja Perry for assistance with the literature review, and Deborah Delevan for editorial assistance. The authors would also like to thank John Midolo for provision of information on QUERI partnered research evaluation centers, and Amy Kilbourne for her comments on a prior version of this manuscript.

This project was funded by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Quality Enhancement Research Initiative through core funding to the Center for Implementation Practice and Research Support (Project # TRA 08-379). Additional support for investigator time and visiting professorship was provided from the Medical Management Center, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, and by a Career Development Award to David Ganz from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Service (Project #VA CD2 08-012-1).

Citation

Ovretveit, J., Hempel, S., L. Magnabosco, J., S. Mittman, B., V. Rubenstein, L. and A. Ganz, D. (2014), "Guidance for research-practice partnerships (R-PPs) and collaborative research", Journal of Health Organization and Management, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 115-126. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHOM-08-2013-0164

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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