The European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) Knowledge Hub: developing an open platform for facilitating high-quality clinical research

Addressing the gap in health data management skills: an online self-guided course for researchers and health professionals

BACKGROUND

The healthcare sector is rapidly evolving with the rise of digital technology and data-driven decision-making. However, traditional medical education has yet to fully integrate training on managing health-related information, resulting in a significant skills gap among medical and research professionals. This gap is pronounced in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where data privacy concerns and inadequate infrastructure hinder efforts to utilise and share health data.

AIMS

To address this gap, we developed an online, modular course aimed at providing foundational skills on capturing, storing and sharing health data.

METHODS

The course was developed using the ADDIE(Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate) instructional design model. A needs assessment workshop involving 25 global health proffesionals identified key training gaps which informed the curriculum's development. A multidisciplinary team from six institutions developed the modules. The course was piloted in a face-to-face setting with 37 participants and later adapted for online delivery via the Global Health Network platform. We evaluated the course using Level 1 of Kirkpatrick's model for training evaluation.

RESULTS

Six foundational modules were developed: Introduction to Data Management, Data Quality, Data Repositories, Ethics of Data Sharing, Data Governance, and Costing for Data Management. Between December 2020 and April 2024, 6,384 individuals from 90 countries completed the course. Of these, 32% were from Africa, 15% from Asia, 16% from South/Central America and the Caribbean, and 24% from Europe. Summative evaluations, based on voluntary post-module surveys, demonstrated high relevance to participants' learning needs (96.6%) and strong intentions to apply the skills gained (88.3%). Key motivators for enrollment included the course's free access, relevance to professional or academic needs, and trust in the organizations and authors behind the content.

CONCLUSIONS

The high enrolment and broad geographical reach demonstrates the potential of online training as a cost-effective tool to equip health practitioners and researchers with data literacy skills. Future evaluations will assess its impact on participants' knowledge, behavior, and data-sharing and reuse practices.

Breaking barriers: Navigating the path to successful scientific research publication among faculty members in Egypt

Background

In the realm of academia, the publication of scientific research is not merely an act of dissemination; it serves as a pivotal milestone that signifies the culmination of rigorous investigation, critical analysis, and intellectual contribution.

Aim

To examine the challenges and barriers encountered by faculty members in the process of publishing their work.

Methods

The study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional design and was conducted from 1 March to 1 May 2022. A convenience sample of 358 faculty members from eight universities in Egypt, representing a diverse range of faculties. These faculties comprised five practical disciplines, namely, Nursing, Medicine, Science, Pharmacy, and Engineering, as well as three theoretical faculties including Al-Alsun (Languages), Arts, and Commerce. The universities involved in the study included Ain Shams, Cairo, Mansoura, Benha, Assiut, 6th of October, British University in Egypt (BUE), among others. Data were collected through an online questionnaire that included staff characteristics and barriers to scientific research and publishing. Hypothesis testing was conducted using appropriate statistical analysis methods (e.g., Chi-square test) to assess the relationships between faculty members' characteristics and barriers to publishing.

Results

The faculty staff in our study reported the highest barriers to publishing scientific research in the domains of the reviewing process (74%), institutional support (67%), and scientific publishing process (60.9%). Conversely, the lowest barriers were found in the domains of frustration after rejection (55.1%), scientific writing barriers (46.1%), and loss of passion and causation of publishing barriers (41.3%).

Conclusions

The results highlighted the need for increased support and resources to overcome these barriers and foster a positive culture of research and publishing in Egyptian universities.

Clinical trials landscape in a lower-middle-income country (Pakistan)

In recent times, there have been calls from within the developing nations for increased ownership by governmental research bodies and universities of the priority research setting and research that aligns with national health strategies. This is a review paper of the studies that have been published on clinical trials in developing countries, with a focus mainly on Pakistan. The literature review used online databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), and ClinicalTrials.gov trial registries to search for clinical trials conducted in Pakistan between January 2000 and December 2022 and analyzed. The results revealed that clinical research in Pakistan is hindered by a number of barriers, including a lack of funding, skilled personnel, and regulatory issues. Lack of funding is a common obstacle, and the majority of funding for clinical trials originates from Western countries or pharmaceutical companies established in the West. In conclusion, clinical studies in developing countries, especially in Pakistan, are hindered by a plethora of barriers, and to improve the current state, increasing funding, streamlining ethical approval procedures, simplifying regulatory systems, addressing cultural and religious concerns, and participating in global efforts to bridge the gap in health-based research are crucial.

Barriers to Conducting and Publishing Scientific Research Among Nursing Faculty Members in Saudi Arabia

Objective

Publication in highly indexed journals is a complicated process that requires research skills, including writing, conceptualizing, and communication skills, to appropriately verbalize the findings. The current study assessed the barriers faced by nursing faculty at Saudi universities in conducting scientific research and publishing in highly indexed journals.

Methods

This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Data were collected through convenience sampling by sending an online questionnaire to faculty members at Saudi universities. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: the first part for the demographic characteristics of staff and another part for the barriers associated with conducting scientific research and the publication process in highly indexed journals. The data was analyzed by SPSS using descriptive statistics as frequencies and percentages and inferential statistics using Chi Square test.

Results

The study included 152 participants, mainly female (70.4%) aged 30-40 years (73.7%). Most were non-Saudi (90.1%), attended government universities (82.9%), and specialized in Medical & Surgical Nursing (29.6%). Only 3.9% received publishing training, whereas 55.9% had been published in indexed journals. Barriers included difficulties following guidelines, lack of research-writing knowledge, language challenges, and financial constraints. Gender, age, university, qualifications, and training courses influenced these barriers.

Conclusion

The identified barriers included lack of training, language-related challenges, and work pressures. This study emphasizes the importance of providing support, resources, and training opportunities to overcome these barriers and enhance research productivity in the nursing field.