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
