Citation

El Ansari W, Weiss ES. Health Educ. Res. 2005; 21(2): 175-180.

Affiliation

Postgraduate Public Health Programme, School of Health.ocial Care, Oxford Brookes University, Jack Straws Lane, Marston Road, Oxford OX3 0FL, UK. (walid.ansari@brookes.ac.uk)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/her/cyh051

PMID

16109765

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed broad public health transformations. Central to these changes is that partnership work is increasingly mandated and employed as a vehicle for health education and promotion and disease prevention. Such efforts involve partnerships that span National Health Service bodies, local authorities and health and social care organizations, with stakeholders from the public, private, voluntary and community sectors. However, a more adequate evidence base is required to guide policy and action. The aims of this paper are to draw attention to some of the issues that have hampered the quality of partnership research and to discuss ways in which this research can be improved, in an effort to encourage the development of a more valuable evidence base for researchers, practitioners and policy makers. Multimethod approaches to research on partnership context, functioning and outcomes are advocated, and policy recommendations are made.