ABSTRACT
ObjectivesTo gain insights into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ongoing health research projects, using projects from a selected funding programme in Germany as an example. DesignOnline survey SettingLockdowns and social distancing policies impact upon clinical and public health research in various forms, especially if unrelated to COVID-19. Research institutions have reduced onsite activities, data is often collected remotely, and during the height of the crisis, clinical researchers were partially forced to abandon their projects in favour of front-line care and crisis response. Participants120 investigators of health research projects across Germany, performed between 15 and 25 May 2020. ResultsThe response rate (78%) showed that the survey generated significant interest among investigators. 85 responses were included for analysis, and the majority of investigators (93%) reported that their projects were affected by the pandemic, with many (80%) stating that data collection was not possible as planned, and they could not carry out interventions as planned (67%). Other impacts were caused by staff being unavailable, for example through child or elder care commitments or because of COVID-19 quarantine or illness. Investigators also reported that publications were delayed or not feasible at all (56%), and some experienced problems with PhD or Masters theses 18%). The majority of investigators had mitigation strategies in place such as adjustment of data collection methods using digital tools (46%) or of project implementation in general (46%), others made changes in research design or research questions (27%). ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted upon health research projects. The main challenge is now to mitigate negative effects and to improve long-term resilience in health research. The pandemic has also acted as a driver of innovation and change, for example by accelerating the use of digital methods. Strengths and limitations of this studyO_LITo our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on non COVID-19 health research projects, mitigation strategies employed by investigators and needs for support. C_LIO_LIThe sample is representative of the projects from the "Healthy - for a lifetime" funding programme in Germany, which includes different types of health research projects and involves different population groups. C_LIO_LIWe were not able to clearly distinguish the effects on different types of projects (clinical studies, observational studies, secondary data analyses etc.), because a small number of investigators led more than one project and were not asked to report on each project individually. C_LIO_LIThe survey presents a snapshot of the situation in May 2020. To assess effects more widely as well as long-term impacts on projects, the survey would need to be repeated. C_LI
