Mike Saks, Judith Allsop SAGE Publications Ltd, 2019, PB, 608pp, £31.99, 978-1526424297
‘Research should be based on evidence and evidence should be based on sound research processes — even when there are challenges.’
Researching Health sets out to provide a broad research guide for healthcare students, clinicians, and researchers. Indeed, the content is comprehensive, including research methods, ethics, dissemination, and critical appraisal. Practical implementation and appropriateness of commonly used qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches are considered within the broader context of health care. Descriptions of theory are helpfully supported by case examples, often demonstrating common benefits and challenges experienced with a particular methodology.
The importance of patient and community participation in healthcare research design and implementation is considered, including helpful sections on co-design and Public and Patient Involvement. Furthermore, the final two chapters on ‘proposals, planning, and writing up’ and ‘dissemination and evaluation’ offer a practical insight for early-career stage researchers into important topics commonly neglected within similar literature and lecture series.
The editors state that ‘underrepresented’ areas of healthcare research including primary care are considered. Nevertheless, chapters tend towards the theoretical, with case examples general to health research. Translation of findings to clinical practice receives limited attention. This may be a consequence of the majority of authors being academics rather than clinicians. Furthermore, in appealing to a broader international audience, some unique facets of the UK research landscape are omitted, including General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), engaging with research networks and support structures, and steps to policy implementation within UK primary care.
All things considered, Researching Health provides an accessible and readable overview of clinical research methodology. Given its length and breadth, its benefit is likely to be greatest as a ‘dip in, dip out’ reference book for students or clinicians already involved in healthcare research. While not specifically tailored to primary care, I would recommend it to primary care clinicians with some prior knowledge of research, seeking to improve their understanding of specific aspects of methodology, rigour, or community engagement.
- © British Journal of General Practice 2020
