[Management of research in healthcare centers. An exploration through nominal group dynamics]

To determine the opinions of hospital and other research organizations managers concerning three questions: 1) the desirability of healthcare centers' managing biomedical research as a specific product; 2) the characteristics that define a "research management" culture as opposed to the current "administration of research" culture and 3) the management instruments needed to implement a "research management" culture.

A meeting was held with 14 experts from healthcare centers or research organizations from Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia to discuss the three questions and evaluate the relative importance of items comprising the last two with a score system from 1 (little relevance) to 9 (extremely relevant).

The group was in favor of healthcare centers' managing research as a specific and differentiated product. Keys to achieving a management culture (items scoring higher than 7 with the above system) included the development of a culture to evaluate work and external auditing, transversal support and sharing infrastructures and intellectual capital, specific accounting, unified management, prioritization of research lines and capacity for cooperation, and strategic alliances between centers. Management instruments deemed essential (items scoring 7 or higher with the above system) were: support to research foundations or other organizational formulae to ensure autonomy, specific budgetary control, development of support structures and contractual formulae to support autonomy, creativity and researchers' accountability.

Research conducted in healthcare centers should be managed just as any other product derived from the center's activities. Key points to success are prioritization, evaluation and clear assignation of responsibilities, which requires organizational structures with greater flexibility and specific information systems.