The Health Research Board stresses the importance of research funding despite the economic difficulties, writes Claire O'Connell
WHEN THE economy takes a nosedive, industry does well to plough resources into research, sowing seeds that will blossom into later success. The same applies in healthcare, according to Dr Reg Shaw, chairman of the Health Research Board (HRB), who sees supporting health research as an obvious investment in the future.
"Even when times are tough, it is essential that we continue to invest in research because it leads to better health outcomes and care," says Shaw. "There wouldn't be any healthcare without research. Clinician practices, medical instrumentation, diagnostic procedures and so forth, they have all come from basic or applied research and I think if that comes to a standstill it will bring you to a situation where everybody will suffer and patient care, in particular, would be affected."
This week the HRB unveils its 2007 annual report and its Picture of Health 2008 booklet to highlight aspects of the €180 million worth of research to which it has committed in Ireland.
Shaw's favourites from the current crop include a study by Georgina Gethin on the use of Manuka honey to combat infections (including the superbug MRSA), an evaluation of the economic justification of statin medication to lower cholesterol, a report on the misuse of alcohol in Ireland and the announcement of new clinical research facilities in Galway.
Building up the research environment helps attract the best minds and improve clinical practice, according to Shaw.
"If you look at some of the top hospitals in the world, they have a very strong research basis and I think it's no coincidence that the research base is very strong in hospitals in places like the Mayo Clinic and John Hopkins in Baltimore," he says.
"For patients, the best care at the end of the day is delivered in a research-active environment so it's important that we get the best people into our healthcare system and keep them there, and a good research environment is key to encouraging them to stay."
The HRB strongly supports "translational medicine" that moves research into the clinic, and it currently funds clinician scientists to help bridge the gap between scientific research and medical practice. That bridge is particularly evident in the cancer arena, where the HRB has facilitated about 1,000 patients in clinical trials, says Shaw. "I think participating in the clinical trials improves the outcomes for patients and the quality of care they get, and we believe our investments in these areas have had a real impact," he says.
Expectant parents are also reaping the benefits from HRB funding to Perinatal Ireland, a consortium that uses ultrasound to better understand how babies grow in the womb.
"It's one of the largest studies in the world on foetal growth and all of the eight major obstetric units in the country are involved, with approximately 50,000 births a year," explains Shaw. "And I think that will bring real benefits to mothers by helping to identify babies who are at risk."
Post-budget constraints mean there's a pinch, but Shaw believes the HRB can continue to support Irish researchers even in tougher economic climes. "We are trying to operate in a little bit more of a challenging environment, we have to operate a bit more effectively and efficiently and as a board that's what we are trying to do," he says. "We are reflecting a little bit on some changes but we are expecting that we can operate pretty effectively even with some reductions."
A major target is to attract funds from other sources, explains the HRB's chief executive, Enda Connolly. "We have to optimise how we use our resources and we also see opportunities to grow and develop the whole healthcare research being done by using our money to leverage other resources, be it from the EU, industry, private philanthropy or whatever other funding opportunities exist out there," says Connolly. "So, to grow the total business of doing health research in Ireland is our objective and we can do that using the resources we have."
Meanwhile, the agency has to steer a course through strategic decisions about supporting more basic and applied research.
"It's often about getting the balance right between investing in the longer term issues for developing new therapies and diagnostics, which take time, and then other types of research like population-based research, health-services delivery research that delivers more immediate impact and outcomes, which then benefit people in healthcare on the ground. That's an important issue for an organisation like ours that we get that balance right," says Connolly. "It's not just doing it for the sake of the science. I think if you look at the outcomes, there's a real direct connection between healthcare benefits in Ireland and the research that we are doing."
• A total of 68 research projects and programmes were completed in 2007 representing a total HRB investment of €11.5 million.
• A Picture of Health 2008, written by science writer Susan Aldridge, highlights 17 HRB-funded projects, representing the work of 50 researchers in 13 hospitals and academic institutions across Ireland. A full copy of the HRB Annual Report 2007and A Picture of Health 2008are available online at www.hrb.ie/publications. You can order a free print copy of A Picture of Health 2008by e-mailing pictureofhealth@hrb.ie or calling 01 2345108.