| Name |
Meera Singh |
| Title |
Developing a National Health Research Information System |
| Authors |
Meera Singh |
| Institution |
Meera Singh, Indian Council of Medical Research - New Delhi |
| Abstract |
Introduction
India is a very vast country. Like in most other fields, health research is also conducted in many diverse fields from high technology areas like drug designing and vaccine development, to operational and behavioral research in the fields of communicable diseases, family welfare etc. Researchers also fall in different categories like clinicians, paramedical scientists, biological scientists, social scientists etc. The research institutes, medical colleges, universities, voluntary agencies, pharmaceutical industries etc. engaged in health research, get funds from the government through funding agencies like the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) etc. or directly through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment and Forest etc. Research is also funded by International agencies like WHO, private sectors like pharmaceutical industries, NGOs, private foundations (national and international) etc.
Research information thus generated is vast and very valuable. It is very important that this information is made available to all those who need it. There is no central repository of various types of health research information. It is also extremely difficult to create such a central repository.
WHO had proposed to develop a framework for national systems of health research information in India, Indonesia and Thailand. The main objective was to develop a practical, sustainable and responsible health research information system. The information available from the system will be useful in research planning, research manpower development, funding of research proposals, conducting research training programmes, collaborating research with other countries etc. The present work pertains to India, in pursuance of the above initiatives.
Material and Method
Health Research Information System does not necessarily mean a centralized collection of information. The purpose of developing the present system is to identify various types of information needed in the country, to locate the existing health research information sources in the country, and to propose methods to develop infrastructure and linkages to disseminate and access the available information.
While trying to develop the framework and contents of a health research information system, it is important to know the health research information needs of various categories of people, how they access the information and how they disseminate it, what communication and computer facilities are available in their institutes etc. Two questionnaires were designed to collect (i) information from researchers working in research institutes, medical colleges/university etc.; and (ii) infrastructural information from research institutes/medical colleges/universities etc.
An exhaustive search of related Indian and international web sites was performed to get in depth knowledge of the types of information disseminated by various organizations.
The information thus gathered was analyzed to draw a picture of the present status of the health research information system, to find gaps prevailing in the present system and to work out methods to develop a practical and sustainable health research information system.
Conclusion
The proposed Health Research Information System has been accepted for implementation under UNDP/WHO Health Internetwork Programme. A prototype of the portal of the system has already been designed. The system fully developed, will fulfill the following objectives :
It will be a one point, web based, interactive health research information system for the whole country.
It will provide searchable information about the health and biomedical research projects carried out in medical colleges, research institutes, universities, government departments, private sectors, NGOs etc.
It can be used by policy makers, programme managers, research scientists, NGOs etc.
It will provide funding information from national and international sources, including downloadable application forms.
Printed reports, research results, data from epidemiological and other surveys, surveillance data, bio-data and publications of scientists etc. will be made available on the website of the health research information system.
Links to national and international biomedical and health research sites will be provided.
Research protocols and guidelines will be made available on the web site.
Standardized text with formats with checks will be used to improve the accuracy and reliability of data being entered in the system.
The system will help in reducing turn around time in looking for information and also in reducing redundancy of data.
Use of filters and search engines will optimize information transfer. The end user can get precise information from the ocean of information.
Software programmes will be developed to analyze the available data so that the policy makers and project managers can track the research outputs and draw conclusions about utility and performance of a research programme.
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| Presentation Type |
Power Point Slides |
| Requirements |
Data Projector |
