Dossier n. 198/2010 [Abstract] Social and social-healthcare research in Emilia-Romagna Local Authorities. First survey

As for health research carried out by the Regional Health Trusts, it is important to develop specific tools in order to get to know, rule and encourage social and social-health research carried out by Local Authorities, mainly concerning social and health integration.

Research is considered an opportunity of governance and a resource for the qualified development of the regional welfare system in its local territories, in terms of production and use of social services, consistent with planning and effective impact of policy.

Like the experiences promoted by the Regional Healthcare and Social Agency of Emilia-Romagna within the PRI E-R Program with the first healthcare research survey and the Regional Research Registry, in 2009 the Social Innovation Area of the Agency has developed the first survey of the researches carried out by Health Trusts, Municipal and Provincial Administrations and Public Trusts for Personal Services in the 2005-2009 period.

The purpose of this paper is to make this knowledge available and to spread the survey results throughout the territory, reaching all actors in the Local Authorities (services managers and directors, policy makers, experts and professionals involved and interested in developing and consolidating social research). The final aim of this project is to work out guidelines and action strategies in order to steer research, to make it visible, shared and effective in planning. The aim is also to improve the action of social professionals and to develop collaborations between the local system and Universities and Research Centres.

The Introduction of the volume presents contents and suggestions from the main documents on research and innovation in the Regional Health Service, with more connection on relevant issues of social research.

The first two Chapters focus on objectives, phases of the social research project and on method adopted by the regional workgroup of the Agency. A bibliographical and website analysis was implemented to define the object of social research, about 300 research products were collected and classified by key words, a database with records for each product was organized and about 90 research products were analysed and evaluated according to a shared scheme of interpretation.

Chapters 3 and 4 present the results for each social theme identified and the comments from the research survey, in particular on the themes of “Elderly” and “Immigration” that collected most research production.

The conclusions (Chapter 5) sum up main results and comments from some semi-structured interviews submitted - after the survey - to actors directly involved in a sample of 12 social research (evaluated as the most or the less successful) in 3 Provinces, and from 30 questionnaires submitted to other local researchers.

The Annexes report the general scheme of interpretation adopted by the regional evaluating group and criteria for the homogeneous and clear interpretation.

In the Appendix the main topics of social researches are presented on a provincial basis, reporting quantity and collaborations with other institutions.