Fostering interest in research: evaluation of an introductory research seminar at hospitals in rural Rwanda

Partners In Health Rwanda, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, leads a multipronged approach to develop research capacity among health workers, particularly in rural areas.

To describe the characteristics of participants and to assess the impact of an introductory research seminar series in three district hospitals in rural Rwanda.

This was a retrospective cohort study of seminar participants. Data were sourced from personnel records, assessment sheets and feedback forms.

A total of 126 participants, including 70 (56%) clinical and 56 (44%) non-clinical staff, attended the research seminar series; 61 (48%) received certification. Among those certified, the median assessment score on assignments was 79%. Participants read significantly more articles at 6 and 12 months (median 2 and 4 respectively, compared to 1 at baseline, P < 0.01). There was also a significant increase (P ⩽ 0.05) in self-reported involvement in research studies (28%, baseline; 59%, 12 months) and attendance at other research training (36%, baseline; 65%, 12 months).

The introductory research seminar series provided an important opportunity for engagement in research among clinical and non-clinical staff. Such an activity is a key component of a comprehensive research capacity building programme at rural sites, and serves as an entry point for more advanced research training.