Bmc Health Serv Res
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Bmc Health Serv Res · Sep 2011
Comparative StudyThe MacGyver effect: alive and well in health services research?
In a manner similar to the television action hero MacGyver, health services researchers need to respond to the pressure of unpredictable demands and constrained time frames. The results are often both innovative and functional, with the creation of outputs that could not have been anticipated in the initial planning and design of the research. ⋯ This paper identifies the MacGyver-type dilemmas which arise in health services research, wherein innovation may be called for, to maintain the intended scientific method and rigour. These 'MacGyver drivers' are framed as opposing issues from the perspective of both academic and public policy communities. The ideas expressed in this paper are illustrated by four examples from research projects positioned at the interface between public policy strategy and academia.
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Bmc Health Serv Res · Sep 2011
Comparative StudyThe impact of CFS/ME on employment and productivity in the UK: a cross-sectional study based on the CFS/ME national outcomes database.
Few studies have investigated factors associated with discontinuation of employment in patients with CFS/ME or quantified its impact on productivity. ⋯ CFS/ME incurs huge productivity costs amongst the small fraction of adults with CFS/ME who access specialist services.