Challenges in conducting research in pediatric long-term care facilities

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare research
• Long-term care facility (LTCF) patient safety
• Interdisciplinary collaboration

Background:

• Children in LTCFs have complex medical needs, yet research in this setting is limited.
• The Keep It Clean for Kids (KICK) study aimed to improve patient safety in pediatric LTCFs.
• This study details challenges and strategies for effective research partnerships in pediatric LTCFs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe challenges encountered during a patient safety intervention in pediatric LTCFs.
• To recommend approaches for establishing sustained collaborative relationships between pediatric LTCFs and research teams.
• To facilitate future research in pediatric long-term care settings.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a 5-component program: leadership commitment, KICK teams, workflow assessments, hand hygiene training (World Health Organization's "5 Moments for Hand Hygiene"), and electronic monitoring.
• Focused on active staff participation and engagement.
• Utilized a multi-faceted approach to address patient safety concerns.

Main Results:

• Key challenges included establishing trust, building research teams, enhancing staff participation, and engaging families and visitors.
• Specific strategies were developed to overcome these identified obstacles.
• The intervention highlighted the importance of addressing systemic barriers to research in LTCFs.

Conclusions:

• Conducting research in pediatric LTCFs necessitates a dedicated commitment to overcoming challenges.
• Establishing strong collaborative relationships with both administrative and frontline staff is crucial for success.
• Sustained effort is required to build and maintain effective research partnerships in these specialized environments.