Primary Care Division, Department of Health and Ageing

PHC RIS maintained as much contact as possible with key members of the Primary Care Division, including the Assistant Secretaries, Directors and assistant Directors in Collaboratives and Research, Divisions management, Primary Health Care Information management, and Division Programs sections.

The major collaborative achievements in 2005 were:

• Development, implementation, review, and revision of 2005-06 plans in the new pro forma for Divisions and SBOs.
• Production of the report on the 2003-04 ASD, and presentation of key results to Department of Health and Ageing staff at an interactive workshop in June.
• Convening a very successful GP & PHC Research Conference in Adelaide for the Department of Health and Ageing, after planning the conference in consultation with the Department of Health and Ageing.
• Preparation of a discussion paper on performance indicators and reporting for the second phase of PHCRED and for RCBI departments.
• Contribution to assessment of applications for PHCRED scholarships and fellowships.

Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APHCRI)

The Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APHCRI) is the most prominent single organisation in the PHC RED Strategy. APHCRI provides national leadership in improving the quality and effectiveness of primary health care through the conduct of high quality priority-driven research, and the support and promotion of best practice.

In 2005 PHC RIS worked closely with APHCRI in the following activities:

• Ongoing distribution of information about APHCRI funding streams and events in PHC RIS eBulletin and newsletter, and inclusion of APHCRI staff in distribution of relevant information from PHC RIS.
• APHCRI representation on GP & PHC Research Conference advisory committee and scientific committee, resulting in APHCRI providing funding for keynote speaker Jonathan Lomas. APHCRI planned and chaired a plenary session and Jonathan Lomas facilitated a pre-conference workshop for policy advisors.
• Two members of PHC RIS (Ellen McIntyre and Barbara Beacham) accepted APHCRI's invitation to take part in a round table discussion in November with Professor Huw Davies about measuring research impact on non-researchers.
• Libby Kalucy attended an APHCRI stakeholder meeting in October to provide feedback on progress of APHCRI midterm.
• Libby Kalucy was a member of several working groups led by APHCRI on the development of program performance indicators as part of the new framework for National Quality and Performance System (NQPS) for the Divisions Network, as well as being part of an advisory group for a project led by APHCRI on the effect on Divisions' planning of introducing the NQPS.

Divisions Network

The Divisions Network consists of the Australian Divisions of General Practice (ADGP), 118 Divisions of General Practice and 7 State Based Organisations (SBOs). In 2005 PHC RIS collaborated with these groups in many different ways.

Australian Divisions of General Practice (ADGP)

Australian Divisions of General Practice (ADGP) is a national body representing Divisions of General Practice and State Based Organisations across Australia, and was established in 1998. ADGP was established to provide representation, support and advocacy for GPs through Divisions of General Practice.

Major collaborative achievements in 2005 occurred at all levels:

• Kate Carnell, CEO of ADGP, became a member of PHC RIS Strategic Advisory Group in 2005 and the 2006 Conference Advisory Committee which met in 2005.
• Kate Carnell spoke in a plenary session at the 2005 GP & PHC Research Conference.
• PHC RIS continued a collaborative research project ( Effective links ) with Rachel Yates and Chris Pearce from ADGP, which included PHC RIS and ADGP conducting joint workshops on four occasions.
• Libby Kalucy presented a paper at the Divisions of General Practice Network Forum, Perth, in November 2005.

State Based Organisations:

• GPDV provided input and comment on draft chapters of the ASD report for 2003-04.
• Representatives from QDGP and SADI took part in PHC RIS working parties on developing and implementing the new P&R framework.
• Libby Kalucy co-chaired a presentation on the new P&R framework at the NSW Divisions Executive Network meeting at the invitation of Alliance of NSW Divisions.
• PHC RIS provided orientation packages about PHC RIS to Alliance of NSW Divisions for staff members new to Divisions.
• SADI included PHC RIS material and website updates in their fortnightly electronic newsletter.

Divisions:

• PHC RIS maintained cooperative working relationships with Divisions through ongoing staffing of the Help Desk (now PHC RIS Assist ); phone calls to all Divisions to check current contact details, receipt of ASD, progress with completing ASD, and checking details of completed survey forms.
• Libby Kalucy accepted an invitation from Southern Divisions of General Practice in Adelaide to chair a strategic planning meeting for the Division's Board in May.
• PHC RIS staff members spoke to as many Division staff as possible during the Divisions of General Practice Network Forum, to put faces to names, build on previous relationships and establish new links.

Primary Health Care Research Evaluation and Development Research Capacity Building Initiative (PHCRED RCBI)

• PHC RIS continued to provide a newsletter forum for RCBI-funded departments to describe their activities and achievements, and showcased heads of departments and researchers.
• Maintained current contact details of RCBI Directors, Coordinators and Managers on the PHC RIS website.
• Expanded ROAR to include details of RCBI projects and others such as scholarships funded by PHCRED.
• PHC RIS attended PHCRED forums and meetings in Cairns, Perth, Port  Lincoln, Adelaide, Greater Green Triangle, Melbourne, and Sydney. PHC RIS staff presented papers or workshops at three of these (Cairns, Adelaide, Sydney).
• A large number of people from the PHCRED RCBI sector (including most of the 64 RDP Fellows) attended the GP & PHC Research Conference, Adelaide, in July, at which many presented papers and displayed research posters.
• PHC RIS (Libby Kalucy and Ellen McIntyre) attended and contributed to two national strategic planning sessions in Canberra and Sydney organised by the Department of Health and Ageing after the announcement of the second phase of PHCRED.
• Libby Kalucy and Ellen McIntyre prepared draft key performance indicators for RCBI which were used by RCBI departments in their draft plans in November 2005.

National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS)

The National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS) is Australia's largest national agency for improving health care by helping to close important gaps between best available evidence and current clinical practice (www.nicsl.com.au).

In 2005 PHC  RIS collaborated with NICS:

• PHC RIS has attended several meetings organised by NICS in Melbourne, and facilitated the appearance of Jean Slutsky at a NICS-sponsored lunchtime session at the GP & PHC Research Conference, Adelaide, in July.
• NICS provided two updates for publication in PHC RIS infonet.

Centre for GP Integration Studies

CGPIS conducts research and evaluation focussed on chronic disease prevention and management, information systems, organisational capacity, and health services integration in support of primary health care development (www.cgpis.unsw.edu.au).

PHC RIS regards CGPIS as a close collaborative partner because of its strong links with Divisions of General Practice and interest in data from Divisions relevant to CGPIS research areas. PHC RIS continued to build on the strong relationship established over the last four years, in 2005:

• PHC RIS contributed to planning, evaluation and promotion of the Chronic Disease Forum in Sydney in April, and also contributed funding to sponsor an independent writer to document the forum. Libby Kalucy and Belinda Lowcay attended the Forum, at which Libby Kalucy chaired a breakout session.
• Libby Kalucy was a member of a working group led by Gawaine Powell Davies to develop standard national questions for the national performance indicators for Divisions of General Practice.
• CGPIS contributed to the June issue of PHC RIS infonet.

Primary mental health care Australian Resource Centre (PARC)

The Primary Mental Health Care Australian Resource Centre (PARC), a national centre funded by the Health Priorities and Suicide Prevention Branch of DoHA, provides reference, research and information services to support primary mental health care and the mental health programs of Divisions of General Practice. PARC is co-located with PHC RIS in the Department of General Practice, Flinders University.

PHC RIS plans to continue working closely with PARC to share resources and knowledge of current initiatives. In the past the groups have collaborated on knowledge management, by delivering joint workshops. The PHC RIS Director is a member of PARC's steering committee. Both groups are interested in establishing more formal links around knowledge exchange.