[The SGO Health Research Promotion Program. XIV. Final evaluation]

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Medical Education
• Clinical Research

Context:

• The Netherlands implemented the SGO Health Research Promotion Programme (1986-1997).
• The program aimed to enhance patient-oriented clinical research across various medical fields.
• It sought to integrate scientific investigation into healthcare research, education, and practice.

Purpose:

• To strengthen patient-centered clinical research.
• To foster a cultural change in healthcare investigation.
• To stimulate innovation in health research, medical education, and care.

Summary:

• The SGO program utilized diverse methods including fostering researcher collaboration, training physician researchers, and supporting methodology development.
• It also promoted education, postgraduate training, and established clinical scientific research institutes.
• Publications in national and international journals were a result, but the primary goal was cultural transformation.

Impact:

• The program successfully promoted the principle of patient-centered investigation as a distinct entity within research, education, and care.
• It demonstrated that top-down steering can be effective in driving innovation in patient-oriented research.
• The initiative addressed the need for continuous innovation in response to evolving social and demographic trends in healthcare.