MAKE IT Model: A Model for Research Development in Healthcare Unit of Ministry of Public Health

Abstract

Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has been organizing annual academic meeting which attracted increasing number of researchers. There were awards given regularly for quality papers which were publicized through many media channels. However, there is no proper structure in healthcare units of MOPH with direct mandate of research development. There are no officially designated positions for research coordinators, administrators or methodologists. Even now, there is no direct research policy, national agenda or outcome indicators assigned from MOPH as well. This article proposed strategies for research development in healthcare units of MOPH. The content was derived from a meeting of Committee for Research Development Support, Lampang Hospital.

The committee concluded that there are six critical factors involving research development in healthcare units. They are motivation, availability of time, knowledge delivery, economy, issue and team. Acronym was agreed upon as MAKE IT, so it would be easily followed by other healthcare units. All factors were presented in full scale so optimal stances under different contexts could be identified by individual’s choices. MOPH will hopefully reap benefit from quality research with wide application and productivity once MAKE IT Model is widely deployed in MOPH’s healthcare units.