Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25172428›Full record

ArticleGlobal health action2014

A case study of global health at the university: implications for research and action.

Andrew D Pinto, Donald C Cole, Aleida ter Kuile, Lisa Forman, Katherine Rouleau, Jane Philpott, Barry Pakes, Suzanne Jackson, Carles Muntaner

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Global health action, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Andrew D PintoDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Centre for Research on Inner City Health, Keenan Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; andrew.pinto@utoronto.ca.
Donald C ColeDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Aleida ter KuileDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Credit Valley Hospital, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Lisa FormanDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Comparative Program on Health and Society, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Katherine RouleauDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Jane PhilpottDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Family Medicine, Markham Stouffville Hospital, Markham, Ontario, Canada.
Barry PakesDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Global Health Education Initiative, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Suzanne JacksonDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Carles MuntanerDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGlobal health is increasingly a major focus of institutions in high-income countries. However, little work has been done to date to study the inner workings of global health at the university level. Academics may have competing objectives, with few mechanisms to coordinate efforts and pool resources.

objectiveTo conduct a case study of global health at Canada's largest health sciences university and to examine how its internal organization influences research and action.

designWe drew on existing inventories, annual reports, and websites to create an institutional map, identifying centers and departments using the terms 'global health' or 'international health' to describe their activities. We compiled a list of academics who self-identified as working in global or international health. We purposively sampled persons in leadership positions as key informants. One investigator carried out confidential, semi-structured interviews with 20 key informants. Interview notes were returned to participants for verification and then analyzed thematically by pairs of coders. Synthesis was conducted jointly.

resultsMore than 100 academics were identified as working in global health, situated in numerous institutions, centers, and departments. Global health academics interviewed shared a common sense of what global health means and the values that underpin such work. Most academics interviewed expressed frustration at the existing fragmentation and the lack of strategic direction, financial support, and recognition from the university. This hampered collaborative work and projects to tackle global health problems.

conclusionsThe University of Toronto is not exceptional in facing such challenges, and our findings align with existing literature that describes factors that inhibit collaboration in global health work at universities. Global health academics based at universities may work in institutional siloes and this limits both internal and external collaboration. A number of solutions to address these challenges are proposed.

Indexed as

Global HealthCanadaCooperative BehaviorDeveloping CountriesFinancing, OrganizedHumansLeadershipOrganizational Case StudiesResearchUniversitiesacademiacollaborationglobal healthinternational healthuniversity

Identifiers

PMID25172428
PMCPMC4149743

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.