Patients admitted to more research‐active hospitals have more confidence in staff and are better informed about their condition and medication: Results from a retrospective cross‐sectional study

Abstract

Rationale, aims and objectives: Clinical research activity in hospitals is associatedwith reduced mortality and improved overall care quality. In England, the latter is a compound score of several elements and both staff and inpatient feedback form part of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) ratings. The objective of this study was to determine if NHS Trusts' National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) study activity data correlates with specific outcomes from national NHS staff and patient surveys. Method: Retrospective cohort design involving data for 129 English NHS hospital Trusts, including scores from recent national NHS staff and inpatient surveys and NIHR data. Statistical approach involved Spearman correlation analyses, with cut-off P value ≤ 0.01 for qualification for subsequent principal component analysis (correlation coefficient cut-off value 0.20).Results: Outcomes of one staff survey question (staff recommendation of the organization as a place to work or receive treatment) and multiple outcomes of inpatient survey questions were positively associated with increased NIHR-adopted clinical research activity. Better quality of information provision to patients was the dominant theme, though a higher degree of observed staff teamwork, more confidence in the treating doctors, and a better overall inpatient experience also correlated significantly.The number of different studies contributed more to positive associations with survey outcomes compared with the number of recruited participants into research.Conclusions: Survey elements of the CQC appraisal of English NHS Hospital Trusts are significantly associated with increased clinical research activity levels; it appears to drive better information provision to inpatients-particularly around medicine management-and contribute to a better inpatient experience overall, whilst staff are more likely to recommend their own organization. Despite clinical research activity forming a very small fraction of overall NHS activity, it has an indirect positive effect on staff and Trust performance that is measurable at patient level.

Developing the Role of the Clinical Academic Nurse, Midwife and Allied Health Professional in Healthcare Organisations

“…This provided leadership for the building of capacity and capability of aspiring NMAHP clinical academics. In 2011 the Trust published a Nursing and Allied Health Professions clinical research strategy that sought to ensure this group of health professionals had the means to make a full contribution to the production of leading-edge clinical research that could impact on care provision and improve outcomes (Latter et al, 2009;Westwood et al, 2018). The strategy outlined specific goals related to developing ('Our people, our partnerships and our organisation') and provided the focus to develop a UHSFT clinical doctoral research fellowship programme.…”

“…Research-active National Health Service (NHS) organisations in the United Kingdom are associated with improved outcomes in patient and staff experience compared to their less active counterparts (Jonker and Fisher 2018;Jonker et al, 2019). The introduction of research training programmes, such as the NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic Training (NIHR ICA) programme, provides NHS Trusts with vital funding on which to build a sustainable culture for research activity, specifically supporting clinical academic training for NMAHP professions.…”

Informing National Health Service patients about participation in clinical research: A comparison of opt-in and opt-out approaches across the United Kingdom

“…Globally, patients who participate in research have improved clinical outcomes (Ozdemir et al, 2015) and greater satisfaction with care (Jonker et al, 2020). Moreover, research-active clinical services within healthcare organisations have lower mortality rates and produce higher quality care outcomes (3), highlighting the positive effects of healthcare research at an international level (Royal College of Physicians, 2020).…”

Interventions and strategies aimed at clinical academic pathway development for nurses in the United Kingdom: A systematised review of the literature

“…Research innovations and developments are central to improving patients’ quality of care. High‐quality outcomes and patient experiences can be achieved through establishing a high calibre evidence base within clinical practice (Jonker et al, 2020). Registered nurses play a pivotal role in the delivery of high‐quality patient care; however, compared to their medical and allied healthcare professional (AHP) colleagues, less progress has been made in terms of educating, training and supporting the nursing workforce to develop and sustain clinical academic roles in healthcare.…”