Open AccessConducting research in a resource-constrained environment: avoiding the pitfalls
Author(s) -
Janine I. Munsamy,
Andy Parrish,
Gavin Steel
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
healthcare in low-resource settings
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2281-7824
DOI - 10.4081/hls.2014.1009
Subject(s) - audit , resource (disambiguation) , retrospective cohort study , medical prescription , data collection , medicine , inclusion (mineral) , medical emergency , operations management , business , nursing , psychology , computer science , engineering , accounting , surgery , sociology , computer network , social psychology , social science
Practical challenges affected the conducting of a retrospective drug use evaluation (DUE) on the rational use of tenofovir in a resourceconstrained South African Antiretroviral Treatment Programme. The primary outcome measure was the percentage of patient records compliant with DUE criteria using initiation prescriptions from March 2009 to February 2010. Health system challenges encountered included stringent institutional administrative procedures, lack of efficient communication channels, reliance on overburdened personnel and fear of audit. Forty percent (222 of 556) of patient records identified for inclusion in the study had to be excluded, mainly due to poor record keeping. Research budgetary constraints also limited data collection. This experience highlighted real, unforeseen challenges when conducting a retrospective study in a resource-constrained environment. A sound understanding of the environment and adequate preparation is recommended. The lessons learnt may prove valuable to both firsttime and experienced researchers in a resource-limited setting using a similar methodology