The NAVICARE Network for patient-oriented health services research - experiences and lessons learned

BACKGROUND: In 2017 NAVICARE was established as a Berlin/Brandenburg-based network for patient-oriented health services research. The overall aim is to reduce barriers for patients with age-associated diseases and multimorbidity in the fragmented German health care system. The networks structural goal was to develop a research environment in which scientifically developed regional health services interventions for better coordinated care are piloted. METHODS: During two funding periods, an overarching infrastructure was built in the network to connect and support participating researchers as well as external stakeholders from different disciplines, support education and coordinate the network's dissemination and events. In a critical reflection process between participating researchers, we collected experiences and lessons learned from work in the multidisciplinary research network. RESULTS: A shared coordinating infrastructure, including monthly meetings, to bring in different competencies, perspectives, methods and research questions has been described as beneficial. This includes expertise from participating researchers as well as connected external partners. Experienced challenges are high time effort of networking, bringing together different views as well as logistical-organizational barriers in building overarching and permanent structures. CONCLUSIONS: Work in a research network can provide structural support by collating information and expertise to support better health services research and allowing the integration of different perspectives from internal as well as external partners involved in health care. An overarching coordinating infrastructure should provide an effective flow of information and connect all partners in a time efficient manner. KEY MESSAGES: • Multidisciplinary networking can support a patient-oriented health services research environment. • However, for the regional network to be efficient a goal-oriented coordination and time-balanced communication is key.