Impacts of clinical academic activity: qualitative interviews with healthcare managers and research-active nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and pharmacists

Abstract

ObjectivesTo explore the perceived impacts of clinical academic activity among the professions outside medicine.DesignQualitative semistructured interviews.Setting and participantsThere were two groups of interviewees: Research-active nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, healthcare scientists, psychologists and pharmacists (NMAHPPs) and managers of these professions. All participants were employed in a single, multisite healthcare organisation in the UK.AnalysisInterview transcripts were analysed using the framework method to identify key themes, subthemes and areas of divergence.ResultsFour themes were identified. The first, cultural shifts, described the perceived improvements in the approach to patient care and research culture that were associated with clinical academic activity. The second theme explored visibility and included the positive reputation that clinical academics were identified as bringing to the organisation in contrast with perceived levels of invisibility and inaccessibility of these roles. The third theme identified the impacts of the clinical academic pathways, including the precarity of these roles. The final theme explored making impact tangible, and described interviewees’ suggestions of possible methods to record and demonstrate impact.ConclusionsPerceived positive impacts of NMAHPP clinical academic activity focused on interlinked positive changes for patients and clinical teams. This included delivery of evidence-based healthcare, patient involvement in clinical decision making and improved staff recruitment and retention. However, the positive impacts of clinical academic activity often centred around individual clinicians and did not necessarily translate throughout the organisation. The current clinical academic pathway was identified as causing tension between the perceived value of clinical academic activity and the need to find sufficient staffing to cover clinical services.

Reflections on contributing to health research: A qualitative interview study with research participants and patient advisors

“…Along with increasing research activity, there is also a need to capture, demonstrate and evaluate the impact of the resulting research. We recently explored the reported impacts of research activity by NMAHPP clinicians [ 27 , 28 ]. Identified themes contained several proposed benefits to patients, including increased access to evidence-based management, improved care pathways and service delivery, and changes in the local culture that promoted patient-focused care.…”

Future clinical academic midwife

“…Richardson et al (2019) note that among NMAHPS pursuing clinical academic careers, experiencing a practice or service delivery issue was a primary motivator in triggering an interest in research. Thinking beyond the personally formative example given, there is the potential for deep professional fulfilment among NMAHPs engaged in clinical academic activity, alongside significant positive impact on research culture, Trust reputation, leadership for strategic change and approaches and improvements to patient care (Newington et al 2021;Atsalos et al 2014;Begley et al 2013). Drawing on contemporary 9 experiences NMAHPs are perfectly positioned to identify and address gaps in evidence (Gallagher et al 2021).…”

Strengthening the clinical academic pathway: a systematic review of interventions to support clinical academic careers for doctors and dentists

“…CA roles can bring benefits to the individual (through variety of work and career satisfaction), to patients (who benefit from high quality research and research active institutions) and to their institutions (through their transferrable skills, funding income and networks). 1–3 …”

“…CA roles can bring benefits to the individual (through variety of work and career satisfaction), to patients (who benefit from high quality research and research active institutions) and to their institutions (through their transferrable skills, funding income and networks). [1][2][3] The proportion of clinicians who choose a CA career has fallen over time. 4 Furthermore, there are inequalities within this career…”

“…Their work is diverse, including any health professional background, and varying amounts of research and teaching commitments, dependent on individual’s career stage, role and interests, as well as the healthcare, academic and wider social systems in which they operate. CA roles can bring benefits to the individual (through variety of work and career satisfaction), to patients (who benefit from high quality research and research active institutions) and to their institutions (through their transferrable skills, funding income and networks) 1–3…”