Unravelling the Hurdles of Health Services Research (HSR): Staff Perception at a Teaching Hospital

This research explores the challenges encountered by staff at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) in conducting health services research (HSR). A descriptive-analytical approach was employed, utilizing a structured questionnaire adapted from Karimian et al. [1]. A total of 334 staff members from an array of careers at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) were involved in this study, representing diverse professional backgrounds. Among the 188 respondents with prior research experience, the study found that 83.5% of 188 respondents with prior research experience had conducted health services research, with 79.8% encountering difficulties. 52.1% had applied research outcomes in their practice, which was seen as an instrumental aspect of HSR. Findings revealed that the major obstacles included; administrative issues such as limited integration of research outcomes into practice and unfair evaluations (78%), followed, respectively, by professional challenges such as job burden, financial challenges with funding and budgeting, facility-related issues like outdated research databases, and obstacles related to research skills. Additionally, the findings revealed a significant difference (P<0.05), with academic staff facing fewer professional obstacles than non-academic staff, and Saudi researchers reporting more professional obstacles than non-Saudis. The findings emphasize the importance of addressing financial and facility-related obstacles to facilitate the practical utilization of HSR in health policy and community health services. Enhancing funding processes, clarifying budgeting regulations, and improving the research ecosystem are essential to overcoming these challenges and harnessing HSR's potential to improve healthcare access, quality, and cost-effectiveness.