Health research makes critical contributions to the efficiency and effectiveness of health services, their transition to new models of care, and support for better health for New Zealanders and others. It covers a vast range of areas, from basic biomedical research — aimed at improving our understanding of biological and psychological processes in health, disease and disability — to the development of potential therapeutic methods (pharmaceutical and technological), clinical and public health research, and research on the effectiveness and efficiency of health services and programmes.
This report focuses on a sub-set of health research — that undertaken with the primary intention of directly improving people’s health through the application of knowledge, or improving the effectiveness and efficiency of health and disability services. This is predominantly ‘applied’ research which, for the purpose of this report, is called ‘health delivery research’.
This type of research is important if New Zealand is to make the best return on investments in underpinning research and have the evidence and skills to put in place robust, cost-effective improvements and innovation in health services.
The amount and nature of health delivery research in New Zealand is poorly understood. This report was therefore developed to provide greater clarity about the amount and sources of funding, the key research players, and the environment in which the research activity occurs. This report does not, in itself, contain any recommendations for change. It has however been prepared to inform strategic health research and innovation policy development across government. This includes the development of the ‘Innovation in Health Delivery’ initiative led by the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST) and MoH which identifies opportunities for strengthened research investment and coordination in this area.
This report focuses on mostly applied health delivery research, but it is important to recognise that all types of health research contribute to health service improvements and innovation. Basic research underpins applied research, can directly inform clinical practice, and discoveries with significant impact often have basic or untargeted research as their source. New Zealand needs to support a spectrum of research capability and this principle provides an important preface to this report.