A conference, Building Bridges, held in the mid 1990s indicated the extent to which the processess of effectiveness research, needs assessment, service provision and commissioning remain separated.

A number of issues were identified by presentations at the conference:

• Action research ought to be embedded into HIV prevention activities.
• Greater education amongst all involved in project design and management regarding assumptions about behaviour change, risk behaviour and valid outcome measures in relation to the above.
• Avoiding hoodwinking of commissioners and providers by researchers.
• Avoiding research in the interest of researchers rather than providers or commissioners.
• Greater involvement in the research process for those who will be responsible for implementing changes proposed as a consequence of research.
• Better dissemination of findings to those stakeholders/change agents.

All these issues are discussed in the Building Bridges conference report, and in particular, in presentations by Graham Hart and by Nicola Woodward.

References

Deverell K (Ed). Building bridges: linking research and primary HIV prevention (Conference report), NAM, 1996.

Fraser, E. How effective are effectiveness reviews? Health Education Journal 55: 359–362, 1996

Lucas G. Effectiveness reviews, Current HIV Education Research, Spring 1997, HEA.