While Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is known mostly for providing direct medical aid to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from health services, we also conduct research aimed at improving patient care and advocating for evidence-based policy and practices. To this end we conduct hundreds of research studies each year, publish extensively in peer-reviewed journals, and present our findings at scientific conferences around the world, including several annual MSF-organized events.
With the MSF Science Portal we introduce a new platform that aims to be a « one-stop shop » for content related to this work, so that users anywhere can easily find, browse, access, share and use the knowledge our research generates. Alongside frequent updates of new publications, conference materials, reports and featured content, we will continue to develop this site and to expand its range of content. To learn more about the Portal and what it offers, check out the short videos and slide presentation in this collection.
Each year MSF conducts hundreds of research studies to help fill gaps in the medical knowledge needed for our humanitarian work, and then disseminates the findings via hundreds of peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. Yet it’s often difficult to find specific information within this research output, which is spread across multiple MSF websites--often on third-party platforms—that can be hard to find, search, or navigate. Another obstacle is that most of these sites function poorly in settings with low internet connectivity, limiting use of our research even more in many countries where we work. Improving access to our research content is therefore indispensible for growing MSF’s medical impact and “democratizing” access to this knowledge.
THE INNOVATION
Our solution is to create an “MSF Science Portal,” replacing our Field Research Database with a user-friendly, digital one-stop shop where medical humanitarian actors, global health experts, and other stakeholders anywhere in the world can easily find MSF’s public research content. The Portal will also establish a technical platform supporting consolidation of MSF research repositories.
Planning began in mid-2018 with a survey of current and potential users, followed by collaboration with Google to conduct user research and organize a small “Design Sprint” workshop of MSF stakeholders plus Google designers and engineers. MSF Medical Directors then convened an intersectional Steering Committee to govern the project and approved the final plan in March 2020. Following further definition of user groups and requirements, a digital technology company was selected by a competitive process and began platform development in January 2021, with launch expected in late Q2 2021.
The initial version will allow users to search and access MSF co-authored journal articles, presentations (talks, posters and abstracts) from MSF/Epicentre research conferences, and research studies in the ReMIT repository, and to browse a collection of research resources.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Following platform launch and activities to raise awareness of the Portal, we will monitor success via: (1) Site analytics over time to assess numbers and locations of users, ease of search and navigation, and user activities and engagement, especially in low-bandwidth settings. (2) User feedback, through a comment channel, qualitative interviews with representative users, and surveys of user satisfaction, pain points, and unmet needs.
IMPLICATIONS
By creating an engaging, integrated tool for accessing MSF research, the Portal should contribute to broad objectives including: increasing inclusiveness in knowledge-sharing and decision-making within MSF; facilitating engagement with potential partners and other key audiences; and improving our evidence-based advocacy.
ETHICS STATEMENT
This work did not involve human participants other than respondents to website user questionnaires. We confirm that we have consulted the Innovations Ethics framework regarding potential harms.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
All authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.
