The politics of health services research: health professionals as hired hands in a commissioned research project in England

Article


Dyson, S.M. and Dyson, S.E. 2014. The politics of health services research: health professionals as hired hands in a commissioned research project in England. Sociological Research Online. 19 (3), pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.5153/sro.3457
TypeArticle
TitleThe politics of health services research: health professionals as hired hands in a commissioned research project in England
AuthorsDyson, S.M. and Dyson, S.E.
Abstract

Previous health services research has failed to account for the role played by clinical staff in the collection of data. In this paper we use the work of Roth on hired hand research to examine the politics of evidence production within health services research. Sociologies of work predict lack of engagement in the research tasks by subordinated groups of workers. We examine the role of midwives in researching ante-natal screening for sickle cell and thalassaemia in England, and construct three ideal types: repairers, refractors, and resisters to account for the variable engagement of health staff with research. We find some features of the hired hand phenomenon predicted by Roth to be in evidence, and suggest that the context of our project is similar to much health services research. We conclude that without concerted attempts (1) to change the social relations of research production; (2) to mitigate hired hand effects; (3) to assess the impact of the hired hand effect on the validity and reliability of findings, and (4) to report on these limitations, that health services research involving large teams of subordinated clinical staff as data collectors will be prone to produce evidence that is of limited trustworthiness.
Keywords: evidence-based research; health services research; hired hands; politics of evidence; screening; midwives; research methodology; work and employment.

KeywordsEvidence-based research; health services research; hired hands; politics of evidence; screening; midwives; research methodology; work and employment
PublisherSAGE Publications
British Sociological Association (BSA)
JournalSociological Research Online
ISSN1360-7804
Publication dates
Print15 Aug 2014
Publication process dates
Deposited01 Jul 2015
Accepted17 Jul 2014
Output statusPublished
Accepted author manuscript
File Access Level
Open
Copyright Statement

The accepted manuscript is made available in this repository after a 12 months post publication embargo. The final publication is available in Sociological Research Online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5153/sro.3457

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.5153/sro.3457
LanguageEnglish
Permalink -

https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/85q69

Download files


Accepted author manuscript
  • 15
    total views
  • 7
    total downloads
  • 1
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Exploring factors having an impact on attitudes and motivations towards volunteering in the undergraduate nursing student population − A comparative study of the UK and Ghana
Dyson, S., Korsah, K., Liu, L., O'Driscoll, M. and van den Akker, O. 2021. Exploring factors having an impact on attitudes and motivations towards volunteering in the undergraduate nursing student population − A comparative study of the UK and Ghana. Nurse Education in Practice. 53, pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103050
Scoping the role of the nurse consultant
Dyson, S., Michael, T., Liu, L., Oznur, K. and Mehta, N. 2014. Scoping the role of the nurse consultant. London, UK Middlesex University, School of Health and Education.
The extent, variability and attitudes towards volunteering among nursing students: What are the implications for pedagogy in nurse education?
O'Driscoll, M., Dyson, S., van den Akker, O. and Mehta, N. 2017. The extent, variability and attitudes towards volunteering among nursing students: What are the implications for pedagogy in nurse education? National Council of Voluntary Organisations Conference 2017. Nottingham, UK 07 - 08 Sep 2017
The extent, variability and attitudes towards volunteering among nursing students: Implications for pedagogy in nurse education
O'Driscoll, M., Dyson, S., Liu, L., van den Akker, O. and Mehta, N. 2017. The extent, variability and attitudes towards volunteering among nursing students: Implications for pedagogy in nurse education. 11th Annual International Conference on Sociology. Athens, Greece 01 - 04 May 2017
Mental health and wellbeing in parents of excessively crying infants: prospective evaluation of a support package
Powell, C., Bamber, D., Long, J., Garratt, R., Brown, J., Rudge, S., Morris, T., Bhupendra Jaicim, N., Plachcinski, R., Dyson, S., Boyle, E. and St James-Roberts, I. 2018. Mental health and wellbeing in parents of excessively crying infants: prospective evaluation of a support package. Child: Care, Health & Development. 44 (4), pp. 607-615. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12566
Concordance to ‘pressure relief’ regimen for pressure injury prevention in seated spinal cord injury -- A new measurement tool
Liu, L., Deegan, R., Chapman, S., Allan, H., Traynor, M., Dyson, S., Knight, S. and Gall, A. 2018. Concordance to ‘pressure relief’ regimen for pressure injury prevention in seated spinal cord injury -- A new measurement tool. Tissue Viability Society 2018 – The Conference. Newcastle, UK 25 - 26 Apr 2018
Development of materials to support parents whose babies cry excessively: findings and health service implications
Long, J., Powell, C., Bamber, D., Garratt, R., Brown, J., Dyson, S. and St James-Roberts, I. 2018. Development of materials to support parents whose babies cry excessively: findings and health service implications. Primary Health Care Research & Development. 19 (4), pp. 320-332. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1463423617000779
Critical Pedagogy in Nursing: Transformational Approaches to Nurse Education in a Globalized World
Dyson, S. 2018. Critical Pedagogy in Nursing: Transformational Approaches to Nurse Education in a Globalized World. London UK Palgrave Macmillan.
The extent, variability, and attitudes towards volunteering among undergraduate nursing students: implications for pedagogy in nurse education
Dyson, S., Liu, L., van den Akker, O. and O'Driscoll, M. 2017. The extent, variability, and attitudes towards volunteering among undergraduate nursing students: implications for pedagogy in nurse education. Nurse Education in Practice. 23, pp. 15-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2017.01.004
A report of a North Central and East London-wide evaluation of the CEPN multi-professional/collaborative learning groups
O'Driscoll, M., Traynor, M. and Dyson, S. 2017. A report of a North Central and East London-wide evaluation of the CEPN multi-professional/collaborative learning groups. Presented to Health Education England.
Student midwives' perspectives on the efficacy of feedback after objective structured clinical examination
Killingley, J. and Dyson, S. 2016. Student midwives' perspectives on the efficacy of feedback after objective structured clinical examination. British Journal of Midwifery. 24 (5), pp. 362-368. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2016.24.5.362
New role raises questions
Traynor, M., Allan, H., Allan, H., Dyson, S., Corbett, K. and Centre for Criitcal Research in Nursing and Midwifery 2016. New role raises questions. Nursing Standard. 30 (29), pp. 26-27. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.30.29.26.s25
The architecture and development of multi-role course design of a web-based group training system
Guo, X., Chong, S., Dyson, S. and Picinali, L. 2013. The architecture and development of multi-role course design of a web-based group training system. International Journal of Information and Education Technology. https://doi.org/10.7763/IJIET.2013.V3.227
An exploratory study to identify risk factors for the development of capecitabine-induced palmar plantar erythrodysesthesia (PPE)
Law, A., Dyson, S. and Anthony, D. 2015. An exploratory study to identify risk factors for the development of capecitabine-induced palmar plantar erythrodysesthesia (PPE). Journal of Advanced Nursing. 71 (8), pp. 1825-1832. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12639
A systematic review of neuromuscular electrical stimulation for pressure ulcer care in spinal cord injuries
Liu, L., Moody, J., Dyson, S., Traynor, M. and Gall, A. 2014. A systematic review of neuromuscular electrical stimulation for pressure ulcer care in spinal cord injuries. The 53rd ISCoS Annual Scientific Meeting. Maastricht, The Netherlands 02 - 04 Sep 2014
A systematic review of electrical stimulation for pressure ulcer prevention and treatment in people with spinal cord injuries
Liu, L., Moody, J., Traynor, M., Dyson, S. and Gall, A. 2014. A systematic review of electrical stimulation for pressure ulcer prevention and treatment in people with spinal cord injuries. Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine. 37 (6), pp. 703-718. https://doi.org/10.1179/2045772314Y.0000000226
Critical realism, agency and sickle cell: case studies of young people with sickle cell disorder at school
Dyson, S.M., Atkin, K., Culley, L. and Dyson, S.E. 2014. Critical realism, agency and sickle cell: case studies of young people with sickle cell disorder at school. Ethnic and Racial Studies. 37 (13), pp. 2379-2398. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2013.809130
School ethos and variation in health experience of young people with sickle cell disorder at school
Dyson, S.E., Atkin, K., Culley, L., Demaine, J. and Dyson, S.M. 2012. School ethos and variation in health experience of young people with sickle cell disorder at school. Diversity and Equality in Health and Care. 9 (1), pp. 33-44.
Sickle cell, habitual dys-positions and fragile dispositions: young people with sickle cell at school
Dyson, S.M., Atkin, K., Culley, L., Dyson, S.E. and Evans, H. 2011. Sickle cell, habitual dys-positions and fragile dispositions: young people with sickle cell at school. Sociology of Health & Illness. 33 (3), pp. 465-483. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1467-9566.2010.01301.X
Reported school experiences of young people living with sickle cell disorder in England
Dyson, S.M., Abuateya, H., Atkin, K., Culley, L., Dyson, S.E. and Rowley, D. 2010. Reported school experiences of young people living with sickle cell disorder in England. British Educational Research Journal. 36 (1), pp. 125-142. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411920902878941
Disclosure and sickle cell disorder: a mixed methods study of the young person with sickle cell at school
Dyson, S.M., Atkin, K., Culley, L., Dyson, S.E., Evans, H. and Rowley, D. 2010. Disclosure and sickle cell disorder: a mixed methods study of the young person with sickle cell at school. Social Science & Medicine. 70 (12), pp. 2036-2044. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.03.010
Education and young people with sickle cell disorder: a knowledge review
Abuateya, H., Atkin, K., Culley, L., Dyson, S.E. and Dyson, S.M. 2008. Education and young people with sickle cell disorder: a knowledge review. Diversity in Health and Social Care. 5 (2), pp. 123-135.
Local authorities and the education of young people with sickle cell disorders in England
Dyson, S.M., Abuateya, H., Atkin, K., Culley, L., Dyson, S.E. and Rowley, D. 2008. Local authorities and the education of young people with sickle cell disorders in England. International Studies in Sociology of Education. 18 (1), pp. 47-60. https://doi.org/10.1080/09620210802196168