Open Access research in the Irish health services

Aoife Lawton

Systems Librarian, Health Service Executive

Who are the researchers?

1. Medical/Dental profession

2. Nursing & Midwifery

3. Health & Social Care Professionals (50+)

4. Management

Source: HSE's Health Service Personnel Census at 31st December 2011, Stats for 2011 correct as of Sept 2011

Challenges to health professionals

Challenges to conducting research:

• Service pressures – no protected time

• Not part of core work, patients first

• Infrastructure• Methodological support• Career pathway for

research staff• Research skills – training• Research “value” culture• Lack of awareness of OA

Challenges to OA publishing:

• Cost (€1320-€1510 per article)• 10 OA Irish journals, only 1 is

health related• Highest impact factor journals

are not OA

Top 10 journals by impact factorTop Medical Top Health Services

Top 10 journals by impact factorTop Psychiatry Top Nursing

Comparable OA journalsTitle Impact

FactorTitle Impact

Factor

BMC F Pract 1.47 BMC Public H

2.36

BMC Health Serv Res

1.72 BMC Infect D

2.83

Pop H Metric 1.46 Annals of Gen Psy

1.53

Implemt Sci 2.51 BMC Psyc 2.89

Arthritis R&T 4.36 BMC Surgery

1.40

Biology D 3.74 BMC Cancer 3.15

Metrics – impact, “twimpact”, article metrics

Non OA articles

OA articles

Future: abstract metrics?

Governance

• 50 RECs

• Section 7 of the Health Act 2004 gives statutory responsibility to the HSE in terms of research. In response to the Fottrell and Buttimer Reports HSE established Medical Education, Training and Research (METR)

Organisational Barriers & Progress

Barriers• Leadership: no director of

research in the HSE• Restructuring of HSE• Workforce planning• Value for Money – OA model

does not show this yet.

• Lack of OA Policy/Mandate

• EBP v’s Research

Progress• Medical Education,

Training and Research (METR) 2008

• Academic clinician posts (NSP 2011)

• Clinician scientist training pathways

• Health Information Bill Due end 2012

Initiatives

• Lenus launched in Feb 2009 OA repository collecting research from health professionals in Ireland regardless of institutional affiliation

• Feb 2011 Irish Health Research Seminar• OA Week• 2011 & 2012 call for research sent to all Irish hospitals &

RECs by Director of Clinical Strategy & Programmes• Research (ongoing & published) collated in Lenus

• Hospital Research displayed by Irish province

Future initiatives

• Health Research Group Local initiatives:• OA Week• Lenus working group• Promotion &

Awareness of OA