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BMC Health Services Research
Published in: BMC Health Services Research 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Research article

Research funding impact and priority setting – advancing universal access and quality healthcare research in Malaysia

Authors: Weng Hong Fun, Sondi Sararaks, Ee Hong Tan, Kar Foong Tang, Diane Woei Quan Chong, Lee Lan Low, Roslinda Abu Sapian, S. Asmaliza Ismail, Suresh Kumar Govind, Siti Haniza Mahmud, Shahnaz Murad

Published in: BMC Health Services Research | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Health Research Priority Setting (HRPS) in the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia was initiated more than a decade ago to drive effort toward research for informed decision and policy-making. This study assessed the impact of funded prioritised research and identified research gaps to inform future priority setting initiatives for universal access and quality healthcare in Malaysia.

Methods

Research impact of universal access and quality healthcare projects funded by the National Institutes of Health Malaysia were assessed based on the modified Payback Framework, addressing categories of informing policy, knowledge production, and benefits to health and health sector. For the HRPS process, the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative methodology was adapted and adopted, with the incorporation of stakeholder values using weights and monetary allocation survey. Workshop discussions and interviews with stakeholders and research groups were conducted to identify research gaps, with the use of conceptual frameworks to guide the search.

Results

Seventeen ongoing and 50 completed projects were identified for research funding impact analysis. Overall, research fund allocation differed from stakeholders’ expectation. For research impact, 48 out of 50 completed projects (96.0%) contributed to some form of policy-making efforts. Almost all completed projects resulted in outputs that contributed to knowledge production and were expected to lead to health and health sector benefits. The HRPS process led to the identification of research priority areas that stemmed from ongoing and new issues identified for universal access and quality healthcare.

Conclusion

The concerted efforts of evaluation of research funding impact, prioritisation, dissemination and policy-maker involvement were valuable for optimal health research resource utilisation in a resource constrained developing country. Embedding impact evaluation into a priority setting process and funding research based on national needs could facilitate health research investment to reach its potential.
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Metadata
Title
Research funding impact and priority setting – advancing universal access and quality healthcare research in Malaysia
Authors
Weng Hong Fun
Sondi Sararaks
Ee Hong Tan
Kar Foong Tang
Diane Woei Quan Chong
Lee Lan Low
Roslinda Abu Sapian
S. Asmaliza Ismail
Suresh Kumar Govind
Siti Haniza Mahmud
Shahnaz Murad
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Health Services Research / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6963
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4072-7

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