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This document covers criteria of P1 for Unit 22.
Explain the function of research in health and
social care
This assignment will go into the depths of what research actually is; what the purpose of
research within health and social care is, and different types of research too, including that
research highlights gaps in provision, as well as extending the knowledge and understanding
within health and social care.
The first reason for research within health and social care which I will be discussing in further
detail is the need to highlight gaps in provision. A gap in provision is – simply put – an area in
a particular health and social care sector that has room for improvement. Some provisions in
health and social care do have more room for improvement than others’, however there is
always something that could be better, and it is important that research is done to highlight
these areas so they can be improved at some stage. The best way to highlight gaps in
provision is probably primary research (i.e. research that has not been collected before, first-
hand research) such as surveys and questionnaires. Every provision is different and has
different needs which could differ due to regional aspects as well as the type of people who
are using the service. By using primary research in order to highlight gaps in health and
social care provision, it aims right at the individuals’ who matter in that instant (e.g. service
users’, employees’). By highlighting the gaps in provision it helps to improve the experience
or service for service users’ or employees’, for example if there is a particular problem with
the service at a hospital reception which has been highlighted by service users’ filling out
surveys, the feedback can be used to correct the problem. Research can also be used to
improve the experience for members’ of staff, for example if they are particularly
understaffed on one day of the week which is meaning they cannot take breaks and as a
result are not working to their best potential, the managers’ can try and rectify the problem,
as the issue has been highlighted throughout research so it has now been brought to their
attention.
Another reason why research is carried out in health and social care is to help assist the
ongoing monitoring of progress within a provision. Results gathered from research in a
provision will help managers’ for example know if progress in an area is being made. For
example, if they have previously highlighted gaps in provision for improvement, they can use
further research to find out whether real improvement has been made, and if done
continuously over a period of time they will be able to find out if progress is being made
continuously. This helps to ensure that health and social care services are remaining up to
scratch and are not getting worse. Additionally, if a complaint/issue has been raised
previously, ongoing monitoring by doing research on this particular area will help to keep the
issue under control, because if they see that the issue is getting worse again, it can quickly
and smoothly get rectified before it gets completely out of control.
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