Nigerian Medical Journal

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year
: 2020  |  Volume : 61  |  Issue : 4  |  Page : 218--222

Assessment of health-care research and its challenges among medical doctors in Nigeria


Musliu Adetola Tolani1, Muhammed Ahmed1, Rufus Wale Ojewola2, Abdullahi Abdulwahab-Ahmed3, Abubakar Abdulkadir4, Timothy Uzoma Mbaeri5, John Raphael6, Terkaa Atim7, Akanbi Abdulwahab Ajape8, Samaila Ibrahim Shuaibu9, Usman Mohammed Tela10, Ahmad Tijjani Lawal1, Oyelowo Nasir1, Hussaini Yusuf Maitama1 
1 Department of Surgery, Ahmadu Bello University/Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
2 Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Lagos and Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria
3 Department of Surgery, Usman Danfodio University/Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria
4 Department of Surgery, Bayero University/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria
5 Department of Surgery, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria
6 Department of Surgery, University of Port Harcourt/University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
7 Department of Surgery, College of Health Sciences, University of Abuja and University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja, Nigeria
8 Department of Surgery, University of Ilorin and University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
9 Department of Surgery, University of Jos/Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
10 Department of Surgery, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

Correspondence Address:
Dr. Musliu Adetola Tolani
Department of Surgery, Ahmadu Bello University/Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State
Nigeria

Introduction: Health-care research in Nigeria has been growing over the years but is constrained by many difficulties. This study aimed to identify the challenges encountered in health-care research and suggest policies to address these problems. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study of medical doctors who have been involved in health-related researches. All participants filled a self-administered online questionnaire comprising 31 questions in five sections. The responses were analyzed using the Google forms and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 23. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 41.0 ± 8.4 years. Three-quarters of the respondents (75.5%) worked in teaching hospitals. Nearly all (96.6%) carried out their studies using personal funds and only one in 10 had been involved in high-budget projects (≥₦1,000,000). The generation of quality researches was impeded by the restriction of literature review to free online journals (93.2%), incomplete health records (88.0%), limited access to research kits (65.7%), limited use of advanced statistical analysis (29.8%), and challenges with obtaining ethical approval (21.2%). Despite the average online visibility of these researches (52.2%), only 28.5% stated that it has been locally adopted to influence medical practice in their center. Conclusion: There is a wide disparity in research capacity among hospital tiers. It is important to leverage on and expand existing partnerships to provide institutional access to premium literature, offer robust, and assessable financial support for the conduct of high-quality researches and provide a framework to bridge the gap in the use of these works to influence practice change in Nigeria.


How to cite this article:
Tolani MA, Ahmed M, Ojewola RW, Abdulwahab-Ahmed A, Abdulkadir A, Mbaeri TU, Raphael J, Atim T, Ajape AA, Shuaibu SI, Tela UM, Lawal AT, Nasir O, Maitama HY. Assessment of health-care research and its challenges among medical doctors in Nigeria.Niger Med J 2020;61:218-222


How to cite this URL:
Tolani MA, Ahmed M, Ojewola RW, Abdulwahab-Ahmed A, Abdulkadir A, Mbaeri TU, Raphael J, Atim T, Ajape AA, Shuaibu SI, Tela UM, Lawal AT, Nasir O, Maitama HY. Assessment of health-care research and its challenges among medical doctors in Nigeria. Niger Med J [serial online] 2020 [cited 2024 Mar 28 ];61:218-222
Available from: https://www.nigeriamedj.com/article.asp?issn=0300-1652;year=2020;volume=61;issue=4;spage=218;epage=222;aulast=Tolani;type=0