Abstract:
Researchers have a professional and ethical obligation to ensure that research findings are
disseminated to research participants, as well as other stakeholders. In a climate of increasing
distrust of research, dissemination of findings may help to foster trust in researchers and in
research as an institution. Studies have shown that only 20% of investigators disseminate
findings back to research participants. Investigators affiliated to the Academic Model
Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) have conducted research since 1989, with over
359 publications up to date and over 72 ongoing studies currently. No specific information
on dissemination to research participants was available in this setting.
The broad objective was to describe the dissemination practices of investigators at the
Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH). The specific objectives were
to determine the proportion of investigators who disseminate findings to research participants,
describe the methods used by these investigators and assess the factors that influence
dissemination to research participants.
This was a cross sectional, descriptive, quantitative study conducted at the AMPATH
Research Program. An online semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 136
investigators between May and November 2015. Analysis was done using standard statistical
package for analysis and computing (R Core, 2015). Association between categorical
variables and the binary outcome variable (explicit dissemination to research participants)
were assessed using Fisher’s exact test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant
in all analyses. The covariates that were significant in the bivariate level were included in a
logistic regression model to assess their effect on the outcome. We reported the odds ratios
and the corresponding 95% confidence limits.
In general, 113 AMPATH investigators (91.1%, 95% CI: 84.7, 95.5) disseminated their
research findings. The most commonly used method of dissemination was through scientific
conferences/workshops 61 (49.6%). Of all the participants that took the survey, 77 (62.1%,
95% CI: 53.4, 70.8) disseminated findings specifically to the research participants. The most
commonly used method to participants was through community meetings/events 59 (48%).
The factors that influence dissemination to research participants at AMPATH are allocation
of budget to dissemination activities (p=0.032), presence of a dissemination plan (p=0.005),
external study funding (p=0.047) and submission of dissemination related materials to IREC
(p=0.008).
Investigators at AMPATH have a higher dissemination rate to research participants (62.1%)
compared to investigators in Sudan and the United States that had a prevalence of 20%.
Scientific conferences/workshops were the most commonly used dissemination method.
Factors associated with dissemination to research participants were mostly found to be study
related rather than individual investigator characteristics.
AMPATH should ensure investigators conducting research under the institution build
dissemination to research participants into their protocols. IREC should check for the
presence of a dissemination plan and adequate budgetary provision for dissemination during
the review of protocols prior to approving them. AMPATH should strengthen their
frameworks and provide support to investigators of self-sponsored studies to ensure
dissemination to research participants.