Building Capacity in Institutional Operational Research in Low-Resource Settings: Protocol for an Implementation...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Systems Research
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Operational research (OR) is crucial for developing context-specific eye care solutions in resource-constrained environments.
• Building OR capacity among eye care personnel empowers them to generate evidence for service delivery improvements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the extended phase of the Institutional Operational Research Capacity Building (I-ORCB) program.
• To train eye care professionals in the fundamentals and applications of OR for improved eye health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A 3-year collaborative program (2024-2027) involving 10 eye hospitals in India and Nepal.
• Training encompasses 7 work packages: research methods, data management, scientific writing, and ethics, delivered through workshops and mentorship.
• Implementation involves protocol development, ethics submission, data collection, analysis, and manuscript preparation.

Main Results:

• The program is in its implementation phase with 10 enrolled teams.
• Data collection for evaluation is ongoing (June 2025-late 2026).
• Expected outcomes include enhanced OR competencies, institutional research capacity, publications, and improved service delivery.

Conclusions:

• The I-ORCB program utilizes a practical, learning-by-doing approach.
• It integrates mentorship, institutional ownership, and virtual learning to strengthen OR culture.
• The program is poised to improve eye care service delivery in South Asia.