Increasing research capacity in Canadian community hospitals: an intrinsic descriptive case study

Area of Science:

• Clinical research
• Health services research
• Translational science

Background:

• Community hospital engagement in clinical research in Canada is limited.
• Barriers include insufficient funding and lack of research mentorship.
• Increased participation can speed trial enrollment and improve generalizability of findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of 1 year of funding and a community of practice on research participation in 19 Canadian community hospitals.
• To identify facilitators and barriers to research engagement in these settings.

Main Methods:

• Intrinsic descriptive case study design.
• Thematic analysis of semistructured interviews, meeting minutes, emails, reports, and field notes.
• Data collected from nine key informants.

Main Results:

• Funding allowed community hospitals to hire research staff, sustain programs, and increase clinical trial numbers.
• The community of practice fostered learning, networking, and produced a practical toolkit.
• Contextual factors influencing research included system, trial design, local, and individual characteristics.

Conclusions:

• CCCTG funding and the community of practice positively impacted research activities.
• Key lessons include leveraging inter-hospital connections, optimizing trial design for implementation, and creating supportive resources.
• Contextual factors are crucial for successful research program implementation in community hospitals.