Avoid ‘running before we can walk’ in medical education research: The importance of design and development research

Abstract

Design and development research has the aim of understanding the feasibility and acceptability of implementing early-stage pilot research before interventions are fully implemented and evaluated for their impact. Increasing the use of design and development research in medical education research requires greater awareness of its importance by all stakeholders, the use of iterative research methodologies, such as educational design research, and the application of modified existing frameworks for healthcare feasibility studies.

Keywords:

• Medical education research
• trends

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

John Sandars

John Sandars, MB, MSc, MD, MRCP, MRCGP, FAcadMEd, is professor of medical education, Edge Hill University Medical School, Ormskirk, UK.

Dario Cecilio-Fernandes

Dario Cecilio-Fernandes, MSc, PhD, AFAMEE, is a researcher in the Department of Medical Psychology and Psychiatry, School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Brazil.

Rakesh Patel

Rakesh Patel, MB, MMEd, MD, MRCP, is clinical associate professor of medical education, University of Nottingham, UK and honorary consultant nephrologist, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK.

Roghayeh Gandomkar

Roghayeh Gandomkar, MD, PhD, is assistant professor, Department of Medical Education, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.