PHCRED :: Northern Rivers Department of Rural Health

Northern Rivers Department of Rural Health - Australia

PHCRED

Primary Health Care Research Evaluation and Development

The NRUDRH receives funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing under the Primary Health Care Research Evaluation and Development (PHCRED) Program to help develop and strengthen primary health care.

The PHCRED program aims to develop research skills and promote a cultrue of research in primary health care (PHC).

The NRUDRH provides programs for two target groups and networks:

1. Aboriginal Health Research Network: Aboriginal Medical Services and their staff and North Coast Area Health Service (NCAHS) staff working in Aboriginal-specific services.

2. Mainstream Primary Health Care Research Network: PHC clinicians working in mainstream services in rural, northern NSW, in either the public or private sector.

Approach to Support:

We offer our capacity building program through a range of strategies:

1. The Researcher Development Program (RDP) employes primary health care clinicians and other researchers for one year with the NRUDRH on a part-time basis, to join a research team leld by a senior researcher. They receive intensive mentoring and supervision, as well as support to attend research methods workshops and conferences and to publish journal articles.

2. Research Methods Workshops provide an introduction to research methods and using research evidence. Two different types of workshops are offered, both helping to improve capacity in Aboriginal health research:

o "Walking Through Research” for Aboriginal Research Assistants working on Primary Health Care research projects in Aboriginal health.

o "Yarning About Research" for anyone working in Aboriginal Primary Health Care research, whether Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal

3. Mentoring and support is available within the capacity of the academic staff of the NRUDRH. Priority is given to the RDP researches, people participating in research methods courses, junior researchers working on projects of senior staff, and PhD students within the department. Advice and support is provided to other people as resources permit.

4. Participation in research projects of senior researchers. Where opportunities arise, primary health care clinicians and early career researchers, are encouraged to participate in research projects led by senior researchers. This provides junior researchers with the experience of working on a larger research project with more experienced researchers, enhancing opportunities for mentoring and skills development. Current projects in which junior researchers are working on projects led by senior researchers are:

o HIPS - Health Improvement and Prevention Study

o Smoking in pregnancy by Aboriginal women.

6. Monthly Seminar Series - Scheduled Seminars The PHCRED program coordinates the NRUDRH monthly seminar series. The seminars provide opportunities for dissemination of interesting research findings, by both local researchers and invited national researchers, giving local clinicians and others the opportunity to learn from these presentations. The seminars are run from Lismore, with video-conferencing available to Murwillumbah, Grafton, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Moree,Broken Hill, Tweed Heads, Casino, Ballina and Maclean.

6. Conference support - Financial support is provided to attend research conferences for people presenting results of their research projects. RDP researchers, and junior researchers working on projects within the NRUDRH will be given priority. In 2010, people will be supported to attend the national Primary Health Care and Research conference in Darwin and the 5th Biennial NSW Primary Health Care Research and Evaluation Conference in Sydney. We also offer assistance to write abstracts and papers for presentation at the conferences.

7. State level activities - The NRUDRH is a member of a state-wide PHCRED consortium of seven departments funded under the PHCRED strategy. NSW PHCRED runs a number of programs and the NRUDRH makes a significant contribution to these capacity building activities. These include the annual PHCRED Short Course on Research Methods; a similar short course run for the NSW Institute for Rural Clinical Services and Teaching; and the biennial state conference.

Research Seminar Series

Semester 1 2010

Semester 2 2010

Other PHCRED sites

In 2000, the Australian Commonwealth government introduced the Primary Health Care Research Evaluation and Development (PHCRED) program. This provided funding for University Departments of General Practice and Rural Health throughout

Australia to develop the capacity of the primary health care sector to conduct research and implement research findings in clinical practice. The sites below all have useful research resources and links.
http://www.phcris.org.au/
http://www.vicphcred.unimelb.edu.au/

http://www.nswphc.unsw.edu.au/index.htm

http://crh.flinders.edu.au/research/currentProjects.htm