Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28592283›Full record

ArticleHealth research policy and systems2017

Health systems research in fragile and conflict affected states: a qualitative study of associated challenges.

Aniek Woodward, Kate Sheahan, Tim Martineau, Egbert Sondorp

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health research policy and systems, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
31citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
6.9field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
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

31 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

4 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Aniek WoodwardPublic Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
Kate SheahanUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America.
Tim MartineauLiverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, United Kingdom. tim.martineau@lstmed.ac.uk.
Egbert SondorpKIT (Royal Tropical Institute), Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine · GBLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBRoyal Tropical Institute · NLUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · US

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHigh quality health systems research (HSR) in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS) is essential to guiding the policies and programmes that will improve access to health services and, ultimately, health outcomes. Yet, conducting HSR in FCAS is challenging. An understanding of these challenges is essential to tackling them and to supporting research conducted in these complex environments. Led by the Thematic Working Group on Health Systems in FCAS, the primary aim of this study was to develop a research agenda on HSR in FCAS. The secondary aim was to identify the challenges associated with conducting HSR in these contexts. This paper presents these challenges.

methodsGuided by a purposely-selected steering group, this qualitative study collected respondents' perspectives through an online survey (n = 61) and a group discussion at the Third Global Symposium on HSR in September 2014 (n = 11). Respondents with knowledge and/or experience of HSR in FCAS were intentionally recruited.

resultsOf those ever involved in HSR in FCAS (45/61, 75%), almost all (98%) experienced challenges in conducting their research. Challenges fall under three broad thematic areas: (1) lack of appropriate support; (2) complex local research environment, including access constraints, weak local research capacity, collaboration challenges and lack of trust in the research process; and (3) limited research application, including rapidly outdated findings and lack of engagement with the research process and results.

conclusionsThis study shows that those familiar with HSR in FCAS face many challenges in gaining support for and in conducting and applying high-quality research. There is a need for more sustainable support, including commitment to and long-term funding of HSR in FCAS; investment in capacity building within FCAS to meet the challenges related to implementation of research in these complex environments; relationship and trust building among stakeholders involved in HSR, particularly between local and international researchers and between researchers and participants; and innovative and flexible approaches to research design and implementation in these insecure and rapidly changing contexts.

Indexed as

Armed ConflictsCapacity BuildingHealth PrioritiesHealth Services ResearchDelivery of Health CareDeveloping CountriesGovernment ProgramsHealth PolicyHumansQualitative ResearchResearch PersonnelChallengesConflict-affected statesFragile statesHealth systems research

Identifiers

PMID28592283
PMCPMC5461673
OpenAlexW2623924396

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.