Medical colleges today must focus more on research to improve health - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Medical colleges today must focus more on research to improve health

ByHindustan Times
Feb 01, 2022 05:18 PM IST

The study has been authored by Sanjay Zodpey, vice-president, academics, Public Health Foundation of India and director, Indian Institute of Public Health, Delhi

Medical colleges are centres for training medical doctors and medical specialists. The medical profession is both an art and a science, and learning the nuances requires high-quality faculty members and access to opportunities for healing patients. Medical college hospitals provide such an opportunity for training young doctors. If the health care facilities in the country are visually represented in the form of a triangle, the large base of the triangle is constituted by the primary health centres and health and wellness centres which are closest to the people. The secondary care facilities are positioned above the primary health services and the small apex is formed by the tertiary care hospitals which include medical college hospitals. Medical colleges at the apex of the pyramid are also responsible for training medical doctors and medical specialists. The co-location of medical college hospitals supports the training of students as well as providing a spectrum of health services.

The co-location of medical college hospitals supports the training of students as well as providing a spectrum of health services.
The co-location of medical college hospitals supports the training of students as well as providing a spectrum of health services.

Medical colleges are at the forefront of the health service provision during the Covid pandemic. There are over 590 medical colleges in the country. Each medical college has a tertiary care hospital which receives referral cases from the health system. These medical college hospitals admit severe cases of Covid, provide appropriate clinical care to the sick including intensive care. While the number of medical college hospitals are overshadowed by the total number of health sub-centres, primary care centres and community health centres, these hospitals are an essential part of the overall health system of the country.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The delivery of appropriate care to all patients, at the appropriate time, needs an integrated approach backed by valid research. While care provision to the sick is important, research guides and aligns care provision for achieving optimal health outcomes. A strong research foundation is vital for advancing the mandate of medical colleges. However, the care provision role frequently overshadows the research role. This is partly attributed to high patient caseload and correspondingly less time devoted to research. Other contributing factors include limited efforts by institutions to develop research skills, particularly high-end research skills among faculty members. This has cascading downstream effects on care-provision where there is over-reliance on research data generated from external settings. Illustratively, protocols for care of sepsis among Indian newborn babies must be guided by common causes of sepsis within the country, and particularly within the state and district. This protocol cannot be static in time and must be updated to reflect changes in the microbial cause and its sensitivity to medicines. Similar information that is relevant for providing high quality patient care must be generated by the medical colleges.

Medical colleges need a vibrant research ecosystem where there is research competence, adequate support and a constant encouragement to engage in research. There have been efforts towards mandating research outcomes for promotions of faculty members and regular basic training in research methods. However, impactful research outputs still emerge from a handful of institutions within the country. Medical college leadership will have to devise innovative ways to broaden the research base within each college and promote multidisciplinary research. A research mandate guided by the health needs of the population should be set for each medical college and embedded in its vision and mission. Colleges should undertake a research priority setting exercise by involving diverse stakeholders and establish research tracking systems and review mechanisms. Clinical research should also be aligned to the wider needs of the health system. Research does not advance in isolation, it needs a broad-based team with complementary skills. Medical college departments must collaborate among themselves as well as with departments beyond the confines of the medical college. A ‘Research Team’ approach and ‘Special Interest Groups’ could be the way forward. This will eventually pave the way for multi-centric and multi-country research.

The medical college tricycle is balanced by education and clinical care services as its two rear wheels. The front wheel is the research wheel which must navigate the tricycle and nimbly steer it on the path of social relevance. We have witnessed several far-reaching reforms in medical education and patient care. The research function of medical colleges is indispensable for provision of high-quality care in India. The 21st century medical colleges in India will have to focus on transitioning towards research driven medical colleges and play a vital role in knowledge generation and translation for improved health.

 

(The study has been authored by Sanjay Zodpey, vice-president, academics, Public Health Foundation of India and director, Indian Institute of Public Health, Delhi)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On