An Organizational Guide to Building Health Services Research Capacity

Contract Final Report

Investigators: Jennifer Stephens, MPH, Roger Levine, PhD, Andrea S. Burling, PhD, and Darlene Russ-Eft, PhD.

This guide provides a user-friendly, step-by-step approach to planning, implementing, and sustaining a health services research infrastructure. It provides background information, recommendations, and resources to help research organizations and institutions improve their health services research capacity and competitiveness for grant and contract funding.

Prepared for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality by the American Institutes for Research under contract 232-02-0082.

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Contents

Introduction
   Health Services Research: A Definition
   Background and Purpose of the Guide
   Intended Audience
   Organization of the Guide
Step 1: Assessing Your Organization�s Needs and Capabilities
   Health Services Seed and Fertilizer Organizations
   Preparing to Evaluate Your Project
   Conducting and Using Your Assessment
   Maximizing Success
Step 2: Fostering a Research Culture
   Maximizing Success
Step 3: Planning the Infrastructure Support
   Creating a Research Center
   Building Research Skills
   Establishing and Sustaining Partnerships
   Assembling an Advisory Group
Step 4: Communicating and Reporting
   Communicating with a Funding Agency
   Communicating with Health Services Research Professionals
   Sharing Findings with the Community
   Maximizing Success
Step 5: Evaluating the Infrastructure Support Initiative
   Purpose of Evaluation
   Planning for Evaluation
   Types of Evaluation
   Creating an Evaluation Plan
   Maximizing Success
Step 6: Planning for Sustainability
   Importance of Sustainability
   Creating a Sustainability Plan
   Implementing the Plan and Monitoring Progress
   Maximizing Success
References
Appendix: Evaluation Items