eBulletin

I pass it on and use it as a source of professional development. It does the looking for things we don't have the time to do and keeps us up to date with what is happening out there.
- Policy advisor, Rolling survey response, January 2007

Our environmental scanning tool kit, eBulletin , has matured becoming one of our most well known and effective tools for monitoring and collecting relevant information for our key stakeholders. Based on feedback from users, PHC RIS managed the successful merger of eUpdate (a daily update) and eBulletin (fortnightly update) into PHC RIS eBulletin - a single weekly email publication. This facelift has seen the evolution of the design, frequency, and organisation of the resource.

By December 2006, eBulletin was being sent to 990 subscribers, compared to 789 in December 2005. It continues to be disseminated internally within the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, hence, over 5000 people are alerted to this bulletin each week. The eBulletin has always been coordinated by one person, giving it consistency and a personal touch. Stakeholders know whom to contact with information or for information. The results of the scanning are compiled (along with a web link to further information) under the following headings:

• PHC RIS updates
• GP & PHC Research Conference notifications
• articles of interest
• news items
• media releases
• conferences/seminars/forums/workshops
• vacant positions/scholarships/fellowships/grants/expressions of interest/etc.

Presentation of this information has also improved in line with suggestions from stakeholders so that it is now easier to access and scan.

To avoid the loss of information and to make it easier for recipients to locate past issues, the 47 eBulletins sent out during 2006 are also available on the PHC RIS website (http://www.phcris.org.au/publications/ebulletin/index.php). In 2007 PHC RIS is looking to improve this resource by making it fully searchable.

It's the best thing PHC RIS does.
- Division of General Practice, Rolling survey response, May 2006.

PHC RIS infonet

The PHC RIS team should be complimented on Infonet as it is. I really cannot think of any ways in which it could be improved. It is very informative and covers a broad range of topics, so there is always at least one article of interest and I make time to thoroughly scan it. I also find its design to be visually pleasing. It is easy to read and nicely set out.
- Rolling survey response, September 2006.

2006 was an exciting year in the development of PHC RIS infonet which saw the introduction of a new e-version to complement the already successful hard copy and PDF. The transition to full colour and the redevelopment of the PHCRED section have further enhanced this publication.

In 2006 six editions of the bimonthly newsletter PHC RIS infonet were prepared in accordance with requirements. While PHC RIS infonet is promoted to over 5000 people through our email alert, eBulletin , the hard copy is mailed to 1300 primary health care researchers, policy advisors, Divisions Network staff and organisations around Australia and beyond.

The new e-version of the newsletter follows much the same format of the eBulletin ; it is sent via email and contains article titles with embedded links to the full articles, available in HTML on the website. This electronic version was created in response to stakeholder feedback, which showed that 56% would prefer to receive it electronically. Since we made the change, the response has been very encouraging, with the number of subscribers increasing by 19 in October, and by 151 in December.

The PHCRED section of PHC RIS infonet was redesigned to highlight all elements of the PHCRED Strategy - the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APHCRI), Research Capacity Building Initiative (RCBI) grants scholars and fellows. APHCRI provided six articles. The RCBI section proved very popular this year with the average number of submissions jumping from five articles per issue to eight. In total 52 articles were submitted in 2006, compared to 32 in 2005. PHC RIS also promoted the 2006 NHMRC PHC grants scholars and fellows in the February issue of the newsletter.

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), Oxford University Press (1).

Thank you for Volume 10, Issue 6 of your magazine and congratulations to the editor for the clarity of the magazine. 
- Division of General Practice, unsolicited feedback, September 2006.

FOCUS on...

Presented in a very succinct format. You can pull out and access the information without have to do the grinding work.
- Researcher, Rolling survey response, January 2007

Two FOCUS On.. issues were produced in 2006. Topics were selected in consultation with DoHA. Tools for measuring change in chronic disease management in primary care , published in July, was written by consultant to PHC RIS, Dr Sally Roach in collaboration with Libby and Ellen. This publication looks at the tools to use for measuring systems and processes relevant to chronic disease management.

The main messages from this publication were:

• Valid and reliable tools and instruments exist to measure organisational processes relevant to chronic disease management.
• The tools can be used by GPs, Divisions of General Practice, and other primary care practitioners and organisations as part of routine organisation change, and by researchers as part of specific evaluation or research projects.
• The use of appropriate tools can monitor progress and contribute to quality improvement and to the evidence base about ways to bring about change.
• Selection of the appropriate tool should be based on the specific aims of each intervention.

PHC RIS staff member Eleanor (in collaboration with Libby and Ellen) produced Knowledge Brokering in December. Models of knowledge brokering vary considerably although some broad features apply throughout. Foremost of these is the role of making connections between people for the purpose of facilitating evidence based policy making or practice. Knowledge brokers are builders of relationships and networks, well informed and up to date on what is happening. They are subject experts and they have a high level of credibility with both researchers and policy makers and can be trusted. They are synthesisers of customised information and 'insert' that information into just the right context to make a difference but their role is not simple dissemination. Beyond this the role varies a great deal.

Fact sheets

[The fact sheet] presents the information in clear succinct way [which] means you don't have to do the hard work.
- Researcher, Rolling survey response, January 2007

Evidence supports the usefulness of brief fact sheets rather than long documents to get messages across concisely to busy people.

To support PHC RIS users in accessing information and getting the most out of our products and services, in 2006, PHC RIS developed six new fact sheets and revised one:

• Conference works: getting the most out of conferences
• Oral presentations: preparation and delivery
• Power point presentations
• eBulletin
• Making the connections. Report of the 2004-2005 Annual Survey of Divisions of General Practice (summary sheet)
• GP & PHC Research Conference 2007 (flyer)
• Tips for sharing the 'Know-how' (revised)

These join a collection that includes:

• Design and present posters for maximum impact (2005)
• Dissemination matters (2005)
• Mentoring matters (2005)
• Collaborative partnerships in research (2005)
• How to create a great website (2005)
• ROAR (2005)
• www.phcris.org.au PHC RIS Website (2005)
• Divisions: the Network evolves. Report of the 2003-2004 Annual Survey of Divisions of General Practice (2005) (summary sheet)
• Divisions: a matter of balance. Results of the 2002-2003 Annual Survey of Divisions (2004) (summary sheet)
• Feeding Back the Results: Individual feedback to Divisions of General Practice with data from the Annual Survey of Divisions (2003) (summary sheet)

Fact sheets are used at conferences and seminars to promote PHC RIS and support users in accessing information. They are available on-line, and hard copies are available by request. Surveys conducted at the 2006 GP & PHC Research Conference showed a good level of stakeholder awareness and use of some of these fact sheets.