Evaluating a team-based approach to research capacity building using a matched-pairs study design.

Area of Science:

• Primary Health Care Research
• Health Professions Education
• Team-Based Interventions

Background:

• Primary health care professionals require enhanced research capacity building (RCB).
• Traditional RCB focused on individuals, but team-based approaches are emerging.
• Limited evaluation exists for these newer team-based RCB strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a team-based approach to RCB in primary health care.
• To measure research capacity across individual, team, and organizational domains.

Main Methods:

• A non-randomized matched-pairs trial design was employed.
• Four intervention teams were compared to four matched control teams.
• Random-effects mixed models assessed changes in research capacity scores pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed significantly greater improvements in the Individual Domain for total scores and six items.
• Moderate improvements were observed in the Team and Organisation Domains for the intervention group.
• No domain showed significantly greater improvement for the control group.

Conclusions:

• A team-based RCB approach effectively improved individual research skills in primary health care.
• The intervention also fostered some improvements in team and organizational capacity for research.
• Targeting policies and procedures could further enhance team and organizational research capacity.