Lifecycle of a research project 6: how research might guide policy

This article, the last in a six-part series on the lifecycle of a research project, looks at what makes research more likely to influence policymaking and bring about change.

Abstract
Researchers exploring the ways in which patient care can be improved probably all wish their findings will be taken up by decision makers and lead to policy change. However, to become policy, research needs much more than strong evidence of a large effect obtained from an intervention while controlling other variables: feasibility, value for money, the current policy agenda and a readiness for change all play a part. This article concludes a six-part series on the lifecycle of a research project – the Creating Learning Environments for Compassionate Care study – and examines what makes it more likely than others to end up changing practice.

Citation: May R, Maxwell E (2019) Lifecycle of a research project 6: how research might guide policy. Nursing Times [online]; 115: 6, 36-37.

Authors: Ruth May is chief nursing officer for England; Elaine Maxwell is clinical adviser, National Institute for Health Research Dissemination Centre, Southampton.
This article has been double-blind peer reviewed
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