Enhancement of Thai nurses' research capacity will successfully harness their roles as knowledge providers who can address critical health priorities in Thailand. Those priorities in Thailand are non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as they are projected to soon become the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in that country. There is a need for nursing and health systems research aimed at improving prevention, primary care, and long-term chronic disease management. The proposed program builds on a long standing collaboration between the UMSN and an institute within the MOPH, the Praboromarajchanok Institute for Health Workforce Development (PBRI). Instructors, mentors and advisors from both organizations will contribute to a varied and integrated training plan.
The Specific Aims of this 5 year proposed training program are: 1. Provide a two year post-doctoral research training program in NCDs for 10 PhDs in nursing or related discipline; 2. Expand short term training (one to three months) for 40 PhD prepared investigators to strengthen their understanding of methodology, analysis and policy applications for NCDs research; 3. Provide forums for mid- and high- level research administrators within the MOPH and in universities and institutes of Thailand, to discuss methods and means to enhance and expand research capacity for NCDs in Thailand; 4. Provide a foundation of NCD research capacity in Thailand for potential expansion to the SEAR region. Specific components of the program include: 1) A long-term postdoctoral research training program for 2 trainees per year including one year mentored research at the UM campus and one year mentored research project implementation in Thailand; 2) Short-term training of 1- 3 months for 8 trainees each year offering specific training options tailored to the trainees; and, 3) A yearly three- day research workshops in different geographical regions of Thailand. The MOPH health delivery system, which encompasses nearly 90 percent of the Thai population, will be strengthened through nurse-led research with a focus on prevention, health promotion across the lifespan, and interventions at the individual, community, population and policy levels for NCDs. Specific emphasis will be on the most significant NCDs in Thailand at this time; cardiopulmonary and cardiovascular ischemic diseases and cancer with supporting areas such as pain management, clinical protocols for NCDs, and models of care delivery (e.g. implementation and effectiveness methodologies).
The global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continues to grow, with preventable cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, diabetes, and cancer now the most prevalent diseases and the leading causes of death globally. Every year an estimated 38 million people die prematurely, 14 million of those in developing countries. In collaboration with an institute within the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand this project will leverage one of the largest sectors in the public health workforce, professional nurses, by enhancing the capacity of nurse scientists along with scientists from other disciplines in Thailand for NCD research and training.
| Potempa, K; Furspan, P B; Rajataramya, B et al. (2018) Strengthening Non-Communicable Disease Research Capacity in Thailand: Leveraging PhD Nurses and other Health Professionals. Pac Rim Int J Nurs Res Thail 22:178-186 |
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