Challenges of Collaborating and Conducting International Research

Professor David ArthurHead

Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies

Asia-Pacific Research SymposiumGriffith University

Research Collaboration

Working Together

Overview

Issues confronting nursing

Driving government initiatives

Opportunities and challenges

Examples of collaborative studies

If we are to be a truly visible, evidence-

based profession we need to be informing

all our colleagues about our research

globally

Regional Problems in Research Dissemination and Uptake

Dissemination

1st P R O B L E M

Many conferences every year where research is reported in Korea, China, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore

PUMC in Beijing last August - over 150 papers presented

Mahidol University in Bangkok, January 2006 - 150 papers

7th National Mental Health in Nursing Conference, China (2000) -157 papers

And, vice-versa!

Regional Problems in Research Dissemination and Uptake

How many of these studies were disseminated into English language journals?

a conference paper should be turned into a paper for a refereed nursing journal

How many of the 450 research studies mentioned above have you read, or incorporated into your research or clinical practice?

Regional Problems in Research Dissemination and Uptake

Having conference papers published

2nd P R O B L E M

Regional Problems in Research Dissemination and Uptake

3rd P R O B L E M

Uptake of research for the benefits of theprofession and our consumers

Solution?Solution?

Multi-site research collaborations across cultures and countries are one way of helping achieve this

Developing research capacity in nursing

Global Doom and Gloom

Predicting the future

Half of the population over 60 years old in 50 years, epidemics of Alzheimer’s Disease, obesity, cancer,

diabetes, heart disease in huge numbers

“Learning how to pre-empt illness through molecular knowledge and behavioural interventions is the only viable strategy for maintaining nation’s health in the coming years”

Is this the ‘perfect storm’ for the health care industry?

Government drive

Singapore’s Research Initiatives

•In 2004, the Research Innovation & Enterprise Council (REIC) was formed and recommended to intensify national R&D spending to achieve 3% GDP by 2010, meaning the public sector R&D budget was more than doubled to 13.55 billion

• $1.4 billion over the next five years for biomedical sciences, environmental and water technologies, and interactive and digital media

Translational Clinical Research

The biomedical sciences research direction is in harmony with translational health care research or ‘bench to bedside research’

National Research Foundation Research Fellowship Scheme

We need research to enhance the effectiveness of healthcare practice; to increase the equity of healthcare provision; and to promote the status and development of the nursing profession

collaboration is one way

Opportunities of Collaboration

Professional growth

Circulation of knowledge

Cross pollination of ideas

More effective and creative means of answering complex research questions

Quality outputs

Increased productivity

More competitive grant applications

Challenges of Collaboration

Managing ownership

Planning and orientation

Responding to different perspectives

Developing common goals

Forging and maintaining trust

Good leadership

Access to experts

Diversity amongst collaborators

Time

Resources: value for money in Asia

Clear communication

Models of Conducting Collaborative International Research

First approachinvolves conducting research in a varietyof countries or extending research to other countries which often have disparate levels of development.

Second approachis to examine beliefs, values, andcultural practices of people of other countries to understand how these may affect their health.

Models of Conducting Collaborative International Research

Third approach is active collaborative research teamswith investigators conducting comparative research in their respective countries (Callister el al 2006).

Benefits include sharing resources, increasing publication output, gaining access to data, cheaper RAs.

Table 1 : Global Research Priorities

• Global patterns of health and illness, including maternal and infant morbidity and mortality and infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS.

• Sociocultural health and illness beliefs and practices.

• The effects of sociocultural context on health and illness.

• Health care delivery systems, including community-based models of care.

• Sustainable development.

• Transitional life events such as birth, death, puberty, childbearing, and childrearing.

• Core competencies for professional nursing practice and promotion of culturally competent evidence-based nursing care.

• Models of nursing care in healthy practice environments.

Data from Ahn, Grimwood, Schwarzwald, & Herman, 2003; Dickenson-Hazard, 2004; Giger & Davidhizar, 2004; Lorensen, 2002; Nieswiadomy, 2002; Renfrew et al., 2003; World Health Organization, 2003; Wright et al., 2001.

Collaborate, on what?

Examples of Collaborative Research in Multi-site Settings

1. A collaborative multi-site descriptive study examining nurse characteristics (professional self concept, caring and technological influence).

2. Comparative replications of 1. in NZ, Scotland, UK and Korea

3. A collaborative controlled trial of family education PSI for with people schizophrenia in Beijing, China

4. A collaborative RCT for problem drinkers in Beijing

5. A collaborative multi-site RCT using self help manual for patients recovering from myocardial infarction

The huge amount of energy in the region

The rapid development of scholarship in China particularly and all EAFONS countries

The large numbers of PhD students particularly from Korea and Thailand

The problems with getting published in the first languages

Research not being shared because of our lack of common language

There is no doubt we are scholarly profession with a bright future, which will be brighter and occur quicker if we:

Share our innovations in conference

Collaborate in research studies

Build a critical mass of scholars

Retain them

Identify our best scholarly communities send our scholars there: do we have an equivalent of Oxford, Harvard, Yale?

More international exchange and collaboration

Other disciplines join nursing

Develop innovative nurse-led practice linking the schools with the clinical area

C H A L L E N G E SO U R

Conclusion

• In a changing world collaborative multi-site research:

• a wonderful learning experience

• enriches practice

• understanding of people and cultures

Conclusion

My Lessons learnt:

• Provide good leadership• Communicate regularly• Understand others’ culture and behaviour• Meet regularly• Work with people who will perform (no passengers!)• Deliver what you promise • Have fun!!

A dynamic few decades!

I like the future, I plan to spend the rest of my life in it!