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Letters
Research activity, barriers and competencies among senior paediatricians in Scotland
  1. Steve Turner,
  2. on behalf of the Scottish Paediatric Society
  1. Correspondence to Dr Steve Turner, Department of Child Health, University of Aberdeen, Child Health, Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, Aberdeen AB25 2ZG, UK; s.w.turner{at}abdn.ac.uk

https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2013-305187

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    Child health research activity is perceived to be under threat as evidenced by a falling proportion of clinical academic paediatric consultants and assimilation of departments of child health into thematic university divisions.1–⇓3 Attitudes to research among senior paediatricians in the UK are unknown. A survey was undertaken to survey senior clinicians in Scotland to (1) ascertain their research activity, (2) describe perceived barriers to undertaking research and (3) determine research competencies previously described in trainees.1

    A short questionnaire was completed by consultant and non-consultant career-grade doctors (NCCGD). Participants were invited to take part via an email from the Scottish branch of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) in February 2013. Summary demographic data of all individuals was provided by the RCPCH. Research activity was defined as having been a published author or grant applicant (successful or not) in the previous 2 years; a 2-year period was applied to allow for year-to-year variations in output which might reflect maternity leave or illness.

    Of the 386 individuals contacted, 168 (44%) responded of whom 87 (53%) were …

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    Footnotes

    • Collaborators The Scottish Paediatric Society committee members include Christine Findlay, Iain Laing, Mairi Stark, Peter Fowlie, Robert McWilliam, Lynn Cowie, Christine Gallagher, Jonathan McCormick, Lindsay Ford, Helen Gibson, Ishaq Abu-Arafeh, Lana O'Hara. The support of the Scottish office of the RCPCH (in particular Claire) was much appreciated.

    • Contributors ST conceived the study, executed it, analysed the results and wrote the first draft. The paper was shared with members of the Scottish Paediatric Society committee (named in acknowledgements) who passed comments.

    • Competing interests None.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

    • Data sharing statement Please contact Dr Turner (s.w.turner@abdn.ac.uk) for access to original data.