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“These are Good Problems to Have…”: Establishing a Collaborative Research Partnership in East Africa

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ABSTRACT

In the context of a long-term institutional ‘twinning’ partnership initiated by Indiana and Moi Universities more than 22 years ago, a vibrant program of research has arisen and grown in size and stature. The history of the AMPATH (Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare) Research Program is described, with its distinctive attention to Kenyan–North American equity, mutual benefit, policies that support research best practices, peer review within research working groups/cores, contributions to clinical care, use of healthcare informatics, development of research infrastructure and commitment to research workforce capacity. In the development and management of research within our partnership, we describe a number of significant challenges we have encountered that require ongoing attention, many of which are “good problems” occasioned by the program’s success and growth. Finally, we assess the special value a partnership program like ours has created and end by affirming the importance of organizational diversity, solidarity of purpose, and resilience in the ‘research enterprise.’

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the clinical and research staff of the USAID-AMPATH Partnership for their continued support of our efforts to improve the quality and outcomes of care in western Kenya. The opinions expressed herein are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their respective institutions or the agencies that have funded AMPATH research.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indiana University School of Medicine, Regenstrief Institute, Inc, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    William M. Tierney MD, Winstone N. Nyandiko MMED, MBChB, MPH, Abraham M. Siika MMED, MBChB, MSc, Kara Wools-Kaloustian MD, MSc, John E. Sidle MD, MSc, Jepchirchir Kiplagat MPH, April Bell MPH & Thomas S. Inui MD, MSc

  2. Moi University College of Health Sciences, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya

    William M. Tierney MD, Winstone N. Nyandiko MMED, MBChB, MPH, Abraham M. Siika MMED, MBChB, MSc, Kara Wools-Kaloustian MD, MSc, John E. Sidle MD, MSc, Jepchirchir Kiplagat MPH, April Bell MPH & Thomas S. Inui MD, MSc

  3. 410 West Tenth Street, Suite HS2000, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    William M. Tierney MD

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  1. William M. Tierney MD
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  2. Winstone N. Nyandiko MMED, MBChB, MPH
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  3. Abraham M. Siika MMED, MBChB, MSc
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  4. Kara Wools-Kaloustian MD, MSc
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  5. John E. Sidle MD, MSc
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  6. Jepchirchir Kiplagat MPH
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  7. April Bell MPH
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  8. Thomas S. Inui MD, MSc
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Correspondence to William M. Tierney MD.

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Tierney, W.M., Nyandiko, W.N., Siika, A.M. et al. “These are Good Problems to Have…”: Establishing a Collaborative Research Partnership in East Africa. J GEN INTERN MED 28 (Suppl 3), 625–638 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-013-2459-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-013-2459-4

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