> About us > Annual Report 2006 > Collaboration with stakeholders

As part of our fourth aim of operating PHC RIS to the highest standards of governance, we have a comprehensive and effective approach to communicating with stakeholders. PHC RIS continued to work towards the outcome that key organisations such as those listed below are cooperative with, aware of and benefit from PHC RIS role and services.

Primary and Ambulatory Care Division, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing

As in past years, PHC RIS leaders used any opportunity when visiting Canberra to schedule meetings in person with Department liaison staff to discuss current and future PHC RIS activities. We met face to face in February, May, and July. The joint seminar with APHCRI in May, and the workshop about Divisions of General Practice in July were valuable opportunities to meet staff in person and hear more about their information needs.

The major collaborative achievements in 2006 were:

• PHC RIS support for use of the pro-formas for 6 month and 12 month reports, and plans for 2006-2007 by Divisions and SBOs.
• Review of 2005-06 ASD content and development of a successful and effective on-line version of the survey for 2005-06.
• Production of the report on the 2004-05 ASD and presentation of key results to Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing staff at an interactive workshop in July.
• Successful negotiation with the PHIM section for a contract variation for development of an on-line version of the Planning and Reporting pro formas, with extra resources to fund another programmer for this purpose.
• Convening a very successful GP & PHC Research Conference in Perth for the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, after planning the conference in consultation with the Department.
• Contributing to development of the communication strategy for PHCRED.
• Supporting the organisation and contributing to the program for the National PHCRED meeting in Adelaide in November.

Divisions Network

Australian General Practice Network (AGPN)
PHC RIS strengthened its relationship with AGPN (formerly ADGP) through formal organisational links as well as informal relationships maintained in person, by phone and by email. Formal links between the two organisations included AGPN representation on PHC RIS Strategic Advisory Group in 2006, the 2006 Conference Advisory Committee, advisory group for the Research Impact Project, and the working group for on-line Planning and Reporting project. PHC RIS was represented on the advisory group for the Value of Divisions project commissioned by AGPN. Collaboration was reinforced by consulting with AGPN about contents and format of the 2005-2006 Annual Survey, providing data, shared communication in newsletters, joint authorship of a journal article published in the Medical Journal of Australia in July, and attending each other's national conference and Forum.

State Based Organisations (SBO)
PHC RIS' formal links with SBOs in 2006 included Representatives from QDGP (Queensland Division of General Practice) and SADI (South Australian Divisions Incorporated) on PHC RIS working parties to develop and implement the new P&R framework. PHC RIS staff attended the Queensland CEO meeting in May, presented a paper at the NSW Alliance Vital Links State Forum and attended and provided a display booth the SADI state conference in May. PHC RIS also provided data to each SBO as well as responding to specific data requests. PHC RIS provided at least 35 orientation packages to SBOs for distribution to new staff, and at least one SBO (SADI) included PHC RIS material and website updates in their fortnightly electronic newsletter.

Divisions
As described above, PHC RIS provided tailored reports for each Division containing data (collected through the Annual Survey of Divisions) and benchmarking information for Divisions. We maintained cooperative working relationships with Divisions through ongoing staffing of PHC RIS Assist; phone calls to all Divisions to check current contact details, receipt of ASD, progress with completing ASD, checking details of completed survey forms and general queries. Many of these contact opportunities were also used to share other information and discuss other ways PHC RIS could provide help for Divisions

PHC RIS staff members spoke to as many Division staff as possible during the Australian General Practice Network Forum, to put faces to names, build on previous relationships and establish new links.

Primary Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development strategy (PHCRED) Research Capacity Building Initiative (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.
• PHC RIS promoted events, scholarships and job opportunities through eBulletin and the PHC RIS website.
• Maintained current contact details of RCBI Directors, Coordinators and Managers on the PHC RIS website.
• Developed ROAR to include details of RCBI projects and others such as scholarships funded by PHCRED.
• PHC RIS attended PHCRED forums and meetings in Perth, Adelaide and Hobart. PHC RIS staff presented papers or workshops at all three.
• Libby and Ellen attended and contributed to developing the program for the national PHCRED meeting in Adelaide in November, as well as attending, presenting several items, chairing breakout groups and summarising the program at the conclusion of the day.

Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APHCRI)

Through an effective communication approach PHC RIS has achieved the outcome of mutual cooperation with APHCRI, which is aware of and benefiting from PHC RIS role and services. We communicate regularly by phone and email with staff of the APHCRI hub at The Australian National University (ANU), reinforcing the relationships in person wherever possible.

• 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.
• PHC RIS representatives on two APHCRI projects relating to Divisions' National Quality and Performance System
• PHC RIS staff were key informants on three APHCRI Stream 4 systematic reviews conducted by APHCRI hubs (UNSW, University of Queensland/Flinders University, and University of Melbourne).
• APHCRI was represented on 2006 GP & PHC Research Conference advisory committee and scientific committee, resulting in APHCRI funding the visit of Professor Larry Green (Senior Scholar in Residence at The Robert Graham Centre in Washington, DC). APHCRI planned and chaired a plenary session and a pre-conference workshop. The APHCRI Director is a member of the 2007 GP & PHC Research Conference advisory committee.
• PHC RIS and APHCRI presented a joint seminar to the Primary and Ambulatory Care Division of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing in May 2006.

Centre for GP Integration Studies (CGPIS)

• Libby contributed to a teleconference in February about the Level 4 indicator for mental health as part of the task undertaken by CGPIS to develop standard national questions for NQPS. An update from CGPIS was published in the April and October issues of PHC RIS infonet , and an interview with two staff members about effective links with Divisions of General Practice was published in the June issue.
• Ellen represented PHC RIS at the April opening of the Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, of which CGPIS is one component.
• Libby was a key informant for an APHCRI Stream 4 systematic review on integration, coordination and multidisciplinary teams conducted by CGPIS as an APHCRI hub. Eleanor and Miriam contributed comments on definition and scope of the review.

National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS)

• Anne from PHC RIS attended a meeting run by NICS in Melbourne.
• PHC RIS published updates from NICS in PHC RIS infonet in April, August and October.

Other organisations with whom PHC RIS collaborated include:

• Australian Association for Academic General Practice (AAAGP) - PHC RIS and AAAGP collaborated together with the GP & PHC Research Conference.
• Several organisations were invited to submit articles to PHC RIS infonet. These included National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS, 3), Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity (CPHCE, 1), Centre for General Practice Integration Studies (CGPIS, 2), Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM, 2), Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP, 2), National Primary Care Collaboratives (NPCC, 2), Better Outcomes in Mental Health (BOiMH, 1), Primary Care Research Unit, Uni Melbourne (PCRU, 1) and Oxford University Press (1).

Communication database

Our communication database is designed to manage information related to all communication activities that PHC RIS staff undertake with our stakeholders. The database allows PHC RIS to easily control the responses to information requests, enhancing our internal knowledge sharing.