Nursing home leaders’ perceptions of a research partnership

Background/objective Partnerships between healthcare providers and researchers may accelerate the translation of interventions into widespread practice by testing them under real-world conditions, but depend on provider’s willingness to engage with researchers and ability to fully implement an intervention. Aim To understand nursing home leader’s motivations for participating in a research study and perceptions of the process and value. Methods After a feasibility study of tuned lighting in a nursing home, we conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with six facility leaders. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and independently coded by four investigators. Results Three themes emerged: (1) The importance of the nursing home’s culture and context: the facility had stable leadership, clear processes for prioritizing and implementing new initiatives, and an established interest in the study’s topic. (2) The importance of leader’s belief in the value of the intervention: leaders perceived research generally and the intervention specifically as positively impacting their facility and residents. (3) The importance of ongoing collaboration and flexibility throughout the study period: leaders served as champions to catalyze the project and overcome implementation barriers. Conclusion Nursing home leader’s perspectives about their participation in a feasibility study underscore the importance of establishing strong researcher–provider partnerships, understanding the environment in which the intervention will be implemented, and employing pragmatic methods that allow for flexibility in response to real-world implementation barriers. We recommend eliciting qualitative information to understand the environment in which an intervention will be implemented and to engage opinion leaders who can inform the protocol and champion its success.