Developing a primary care research agenda through collaborative efforts - a proposed "6E" model

Area of Science:

• Primary Care Research
• Health Systems Strengthening
• Medical Education

Background:

• Primary care research in the South Pacific faces challenges.
• A collaborative workshop was organized in Fiji in October 2013.
• Sponsorship was secured from the Fiji Ministry of Health, WONCA Asia Pacific Regional (APR), and pharmaceutical agencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the process of establishing a national primary care research agenda.
• To present a collaborative model involving local stakeholders and external facilitators.
• To address the critical need for research in improving primary care quality.

Main Methods:

• A 2-day workshop was conducted in Fiji with 3 external facilitators, 6 local facilitators, and 29 primary care physicians/academics.
• Participants' input on local clinical issues guided the development of research topics.
• Group discussions and consensus were used to shortlist topics and propose study designs.

Main Results:

• The facilitators developed the 6E model (entreat, enlist, engage, educe, empower, encapsulate) to describe the agenda-setting process.
• The model categorizes processes into pre-workshop and workshop stages.
• The model provides a structured approach to research agenda development.

Conclusions:

• The 6E model is a conceptually sound framework for establishing research agendas.
• The model's feasibility requires further testing in diverse settings.
• Successful implementation can enhance primary care quality through targeted research.