Purposes and structures of Canadian hospital-based research: results of a national survey

Little is known about the current extent, purpose and organization of research within Canadian hospitals. As hospitals face the challenge of reorganization, such information would seem essential. To explore this issue, the authors surveyed Canadian hospitals with more than 100 beds. The results, reported here, reveal that almost all of responding hospitals had engaged in some form of research in the previous 12 months, although the type and number of research projects tended to vary with size of hospital and the status of university affiliation. The study also found that most hospitals have resources specifically dedicated to research, conduct ethical reviews and engage in interdisciplinary research. The vast majority of respondents felt that hospital-based research would assume more importance in the future.