Conservation of resources theory and research use in health systems

Abstract

BackgroundHealth systems face challenges in using research evidence to improve policy and practice. These challenges are particularly evident in small and poorly resourced health systems, which are often in locations (in Canada and globally) with poorer health status. Although organizational resources have been acknowledged as important in understanding research use resource theories have not been a focus of knowledge translation (KT) research. What resources, broadly defined, are required for KT and how does their presence or absence influence research use?In this paper, we consider conservation of resources (COR) theory as a theoretical basis for understanding the capacity to use research evidence in health systems. Three components of COR theory are examined in the context of KT. First, resources are required for research uptake. Second, threat of resource loss fosters resistance to research use. Third, resources can be optimized, even in resource-challenged environments, to build capacity for KT.MethodsA scan of the KT literature examined organizational resources needed for research use. A multiple case study approach examined the three components of COR theory outlined above. The multiple case study consisted of a document review and key informant interviews with research team members, including government decision-makers and health practitioners through a retrospective analysis of four previously conducted applied health research studies in a resource-challenged region.ResultsThe literature scan identified organizational resources that influence research use. The multiple case study supported these findings, contributed to the development of a taxonomy of organizational resources, and revealed how fears concerning resource loss can affect research use. Some resources were found to compensate for other resource deficits. Resource needs differed at various stages in the research use process.ConclusionsCOR theory contributes to understanding the role of resources in research use, resistance to research use, and potential strategies to enhance research use. Resources (and a lack of them) may account for the observed disparities in research uptake across health systems. This paper offers a theoretical foundation to guide further examination of the COR-KT ideas and necessary supports for research use in resource-challenged environments.

Factores asociados con la sintomatología depresiva en adolescentes michoacanos. El papel de la migración familiar y los recursos individuales, familiares y sociales

“…23 Esto podría asociarse con temas que pueden causar confusión en los adolescentes o que pueden tener implícitos elementos de deseabilidad social. Dado que ambas escalas tienen pocos reactivos se propone que en futuras aplicaciones se introduzcan nuevos reactivos de apoyo para éstas.…”

“…Los recursos pueden ser conservados, obtenidos, protegidos, promovidos e intercambiados. 23 La teoría de la conservación de los recursos 24,25 explica el estrés a partir de cómo las personas obtienen, conservan, desarrollan y protegen sus recursos, tratando de adaptarse y encajar en los contextos en los que se encuentran, de manera que utilizan los recursos para regularse a sí mismos y a las relaciones sociales que establecen. Los recursos existen en "caravanas", es decir, que no se desarrollan aisladamente sino en grupo y bajo una sensibilidad especial al contexto, por lo que para comprender qué ocurre con los adolescentes cuando se enfrentan a situaciones estresantes, qué pasa con sus recursos psicológicos y qué ocurre con la presencia o no de sintomatología depresiva, es necesario comprender la conducta individual dentro del contexto, para lo que se requiere una perspectiva ecológica y multifactorial.…”

Dimensions in Appraising Fatigue in Relation to Performance

“…This idea has been elaborated by authors such as Meijman (1991) and Boksem and Tops (2008), and forms an important assumption in rather comparable theories such as the effort-reward imbalance theory (Bellingrath, Weigl, & Kudielka, 2009;Siegrist, 2002), lack of reciprocity theory (Buunk & Schaufeli, 1993;Väänänen, Buunk, Kivimäki, Vahtera, & Koskenvuo, 2008), and conservation of resources theory (Alvaro et al, 2010;Hobfoll & Shirom, 1993). According to these theories, individuals make cost-benefit analyses of goal-directed behaviour to determine whether spending effort is rewarding in terms of, for example, controllability, chances of success, and attractiveness of the rewards (Boksem & Tops, 2008;Dijksterhuis, 2004;Eccles & Wigfield, 2002;Locke & Latham, 2002;Matthews, Davies, Westerman, & Stammers, 2000).…”

A ‘work smarter, not harder’ approach to improving healthcare quality

“…Although providers understood the importance of such initiatives, they reported increased difficulty in getting their work done accurately and reliably and find themselves reducing attention to other tasks, creating more system workarounds and spending less time interacting with patients 13–15. Such an increase in job demands without the provision of additional resource has been shown to induce defensive strategies among recipients of change and likely contributes to resistance to change and lack of ‘buy-in’ 15 16…”