HELP! You can learn from failure
On May 14, 2024, we organized a lunch lecture in collaboration with the Journal of Trial and Error on the challenges of researching interventions in everyday healthcare practice. This was the second lunch lecture in the series Scientific failure and uncertainty in the health domain.
Failure?
During the lecture, attention was given to the challenges of conducting research on interventions in everyday healthcare practice. A personal experience was shared, reflecting on a grant application for elderly care that was initially rejected. Despite this setback, funding was eventually secured through the ZonMW Efficiency Program, highlighting that perseverance pays off, even when the first attempt fails.
The research in question aimed at the evaluation of a healthcare intervention that was meant to prevent delirium in older hospital patients. Even though the trial did not deliver the expected results, there where lessons to be learned from the results that were found. Our lecture dove into these lessons and how they contributed to further professional development. Furthermore, we spoke about the importance of perseverance and resilience in scientific research. We learned that even negative outcomes can give us valuable insights. We reflected on the worth of failure and the opportunities that arise when we revise strategies and pathways in an academic setting.
Speaker
- Prof. dr. Marieke Schuurmans is a Professor of Appropriate Care at UMC Utrecht and Vice Dean of Education and Training at UMC Groningen.