Elizabeth Carment Kalucy

The feasibility of determining the impact of primary health care research projects using the payback framework

BackgroundPrimary health care research is under pressure to be accountable to funders in terms of benefits for practice and policy. However, methods to assess the impact of primary health care research must be appropriate to use with the diverse topics, settings and approaches of this sector. This project explored the feasibility of using the Buxton and Hanney Payback Framework to determine the impact of a stratified random sample (n = 4) of competitively funded, primary health care research projects.MethodsThe project conducted telephone interviews based on the Payback Framework with leaders of the research teams and nominated users of their research, used bibliometric methods for assessing impact through publication outputs and obtained documentary evidence of impact where possible. The purpose was to determine the effectiveness of the data collection methods and the applicability of the Payback Framework, and any other issues which arose around the assessment of impact of primary health care research.Results and discussionThe thirteen interviews were resource intensive to organise conduct and analyse but provided better information about impact than bibliometric analysis or documentary analysis. Bibliometric analysis of the papers published from the four projects was hampered by the inclusion of only one of the journals in major citation indexes. Document analysis provided more evidence of dissemination than of impact.The payback framework and logic model were a sound basis for assessing impact. Chief investigators and nominated users of research provided substantial information relevant to the impact categories closest to their spheres of influence and awareness, but less about the impact their research had on the wider health sector, population health or economic benefits. An additional category of impact emerged from the interviews, that of strengthening research networks which could enhance the impact of later work. The framework provided rich information about the pathways to impact, better understanding of which may enhance impact.ConclusionIt is feasible to use the Buxton and Hanney Payback framework and logic model to determine the proximal impacts of primary health care research. Though resource intensive, telephone interviews of chief investigators and nominated users provided rich information.

The relationship between self-reported health status and the increasing likelihood of South Australians seeking Internet health information

Objective: To determine the proportion of South Australians seeking health information on the Internet and the relationship between searches for health information and self‐reported health status.

The power of place : space and time in women's and community health centres in South Australia

This paper focuses on the importance of time and space in an Australian medical setting. It draws on research findings from a one year project that aimed to explore community perspectives of, and experiences of medical services in three South Australian womens and community health centres. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis were used in order to address these objectives. A significant finding was the way in which participants described the organisation and experience of time and space in these centres and how this impacted on their health and well being and that of the community. In analysing these spatio-temporal dimensions and the underlying philosophical structures of womens and community health centres, this paper argues that experiences associated with space and time have a positive effect on health status by: diminishing barriers to health services, improving quality of care, increasing community participation, providing safe places for social interaction and strengthening peoples sense of belonging or attachment to a particular community and place. Based on these findings, the authors conclude that the spatio-temporal dimensions of health care provision have empowering and positive impacts on a communitys health, a significant finding that has implications for the maintenance and future funding of this style of health service.

Health promotion in different medical settings: women's health, community health and private practice

This paper describes the health promotion role of doctors in two medical practice settings: womens and community health centres, and fee‐for‐service practice. It proposes the establishment of divisions of primary health care in Australia which would be multi‐disciplinary and focus on community‐wide health issues. The paper is based on data from an interview survey of medical practitioners who had worked in metropolitan Adelaide womens and community health centres and from a questionnaire survey of GPs in private practice. The types of health promotion activity by the doctors in the different settings are discussed. It is concluded that private practice GPs are involved primarily in providing health education advice to individual patients. Doctors within womens and community health centres are more likely to report involvement in group health promotion activity and broader community development initiatives. The study concludes that health promotion which focuses on the health of the local community is best conducted within multi‐disciplinary health centres. GPs in private practice are limited by the structure of their setting (particularly the fee‐for‐service basis and reliance on a single discipline) to health promotion which focuses on the needs of individual patients.