The HSE National Framework for the Governance, Management and Support of Research (RGMS Framework) aims to protect research participants and to support health and social care staff to do research in a very complex ethical, legal and regulatory environment.
The RGMS Framework is the first key output of the 10-year HSE Strategic Action Plan for Research and was launched on September 9th 2021 by Dean Sullivan, HSE Chief Strategy Officer.
Health research is crucial to find better ways to prevent and treat diseases and to contribute to improve the way healthcare systems work. Research enables evidence-based practice, and together with innovation, teaching and training, it is key to deliver the best outcomes for patients, carers, service users and their families.
At the launch of the framework, Dr. Philip Crowley, National Director of Strategy and Research said;
“As we move towards a system of integrated care, the HSE wants to ensure that research becomes a key enabler of evidence-based practice, which contributes to the delivery of better services and to attracting the best of research active staff, nationally and internationally.”
The framework highlights the importance of patients as equal partners in the research process and the value of patient and public involvement (PPI) in research. Patients, service users, carers, and the public must be given more opportunities to be involved in research as they can help to expand its impact, by helping researchers to focus on issues that are of greatest importance to them and their families.
The RGMS Framework and a video of the event are available on the HSE R&D website.
Dr. Ana Terrés, Assistant National Director, Head of Research and Evidence, added that;
“International evidence indicates that research active health and social care services deliver better care. It is therefore in the interests of patients and service users to ensure that the transformation of the health service makes provisions to embed research as part of our normal practice. This has to be done in the context of appropriate governance to ensure that we can guarantee the trust of the public and with appropriate supports for our staff. This Framework provides the foundation to do just that.”