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RESEARCH DEPARTMENT

Promotion of research

Introduction

The Nairobi Hospital (TNH) is an ISO-certified premier tertiary level private healthcare institution that has been in existence for almost 70 years. It is a standard-setting institution, with world-class structural, technological and human resources, with an exceptionally high average level of expertise. It caters to an increasingly large number of patients who are either private patients or patients under hospital-based care.

In addition to being an ISO-certified healthcare provider, TNH is also a research institution certified by the National Commission on Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) since September 2018. In addition, TNH has its own in-house Institutional Review Board, christened The Nairobi Hospital Ethics Research Committee (TNH-ERC), which also received its mandate from NACOSTI. The TNH-ERC plays a vital role in ensuring the protection of the research participants within its vast sphere of influence. The crucial role of research in facilitating the continuous improvement of quality of care in the perpetual quest to optimize treatment outcomes was thus recognized and appreciated at TNH for a veritable duration of time.

Following stakeholder engagements, The Nairobi Hospital Research Department (NHRD) was formally launched in November 2021. It was the culmination of The Nairobi Hospital’s intention to utilize the treasure trove of clinical data, cumulative expertise and inexhaustible knowledge available at TNH to improve local, regional and international health outcomes by focusing on quality improvement through research-guided best clinical practice. It was recognized that the realization of this outcome can only be possible by harnessing the veritable power of internal and external collaboration. The incorporation of Research as a key component of The Nairobi Hospital’s Strategic Plan is a clear reflection of the recognition of the immeasurable value of seeking to integrate clinical research with patient care.

The NHRD is housed on the 9th floor of The Nairobi Hospital Anderson building within the Cicely McDonell College of Health Sciences next to the college’s library. This strategic location is an indication of the commitment to undertaking the highest quality of research with absolute commitment to academic excellence. Currently, the NHRD is led by Dr. Paul Kamau Koigi, a consultant obstetrician/gynecologist with significant research and training experience, as well as a veritable number of publications under his belt. He also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of The Nairobi Hospital Medical Journal, a new high-impact multi-disciplinary quarterly peer-reviewed publication whose first issue debuted in March 2022. Although the journal is open-access (free for all to obtain and read), the primary target audience is health service providers of all cadres, key local and international policy and decision-making stakeholders, and all other areas that interact with the health sector. The overall intention of this TNH Med J is to be a trustworthy platform for dissemination of high-impact medical knowledge generated through research that can guide health policy and practice locally, regionally and globally.

Vision

To be a local and regional leader in clinical research.

Mission

To provide an enabling environment for innovative research that optimizes the quality of care provided at The Nairobi Hospital.

Objectives

  1. To facilitate training of internal and external stakeholders in the various aspects of research.
  2. To facilitate the development and establishment of a multidisciplinary research consortium via strategic partnerships.
  3. To enhance the uptake of clinical research as a care option.
  4. To increase the number and quality of research projects undertaken at The Nairobi Hospital.
  5. To optimize stakeholder engagement in research by forming strategic collaborative associations with various stakeholders in the health industry.
  6. To establish a high-impact, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary medical journal to facilitate the dissemination of research undertaken at The Nairobi Hospital.
  7. To utilize the journal as a platform to influence health policy and practice locally and regionally.

Core Values

  • Quality: We strive to undertake the highest quality research
  • Inspiration: We seek to inspire internal and external stakeholders to pursue improvement of quality of care to optimize clinical outcomes through research
  • Partnerships: We recognize the value of stakeholder engagement through mutually beneficial strategic partnerships and collaborations
  • Integrity: We believe in openness, transparency and best ethical practices in research, as stipulated by the guidance from TNH-ERC and NACOSTI.
  • Dedication: We are dedicated to optimizing clinical outcomes through the performance of high-quality research

Projected benefits of having the NHRD

  1. Increasing staff interest in performing research
  2. Improvement in staff and institutional capacity
  3. Increasing the quality of research being performed
  4. Establishment of a platform for dissemination of the findings of research – The Nairobi Hospital Medical Journal
  5. Development of a culture of research and publication
  6. Improvement of the overall reputation of TNH as a center of excellence
  7. Substantial contribution by TNH to the pool of scientific knowledge
  8. Contribution by TNH towards shaping health policy and practice
  9. Opportunities for improvement of patient outcomes
  10. Improved teamwork of internal stakeholders
  11. Increased opportunities for external collaboration
  12. Improved overall level of critical thinking and appraisal skills
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