Perspectives on research among Kansas County health department administrators

Collaborations between academic researchers and local practitioners build on the strengths of both parties; however, several barriers often prevent the development of such partnerships. The purpose of this focus group study was to gain a better understanding of perceived barriers and benefits of developing academic partnerships from the perspective of local health department (LHD) administrators throughout the state of Kansas. Six focus groups (n = 49) were conducted with LHD administrators from 50 percent of the state's counties. Verbatim transcripts were coded by three independent investigators, and the research team reached consensus on the major themes. Five saturated themes emerged: (1) perceptions about research varied but were initially negative, (2) barriers to engaging in research included limited capacity and poor perceived relevance, (3) perceived benefits of research were largely related to professional growth and practice improvement, (4) uncertainty existed about how research fits into their professional role, and (5) university researchers were perceived as out of touch with community needs. Participants' negative perceptions of research were influenced by a lack of resources, time, and skills, and a lack of connection between research activities and primary clinical responsibilities. However, despite many negative perceptions, research was rated as highly important. Findings have implications for strategies to engage LHDs in academic collaborations such as targeting research projects to fill an existing need identified by LHD staff.