ReportWatch: Research and Australian health reforms

How does research fare in the National Primary Health Care Strategy and National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission reports?

In an enhanced primary health care system, primary health care will be supported by research that is timely, accessible and readily applicable to policy and service delivery (p25, draft National Primary Health Care Strategy (NPHCS) <www.yourhealth.gov.au/internet/yourhealth/publishing.nsf/Content/nphc-draftreportsupp-toc>). Safe, high quality care will be continually improving through relevant research and innovation (p78, supplementary report, draft NPHCS). The draft Strategy acknowledges the fragility of research capacity and infrastructure and the ongoing need to broaden the scope and improve dissemination of primary health care research.

Similarly, research appears in the final report of the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission <www.yourhealth.gov.au/internet/yourhealth/publishing.nsf/Content/nhhrc-report-toc> as a way to improve quality and outcomes in the health system. The report recommends

• building health service, clinical and workforce capability through a remote and rural health research program as part of delivering better health outcomes for remote and rural communities (#69).
• giving greater priority to clinical and health services research. This includes increasing the availability of part-time clinical research fellowships across all health sectors to ensure protected time for research, and to ensure research is valued and enabled as a normal part of providing health services and to promote uptake of research findings in clinical practice (#105).
• greater investment in public health, health policy, health services and health system research including ongoing evaluation of health reforms (# 106).
• taking a national approach to synthesizing and disseminating clinical evidence/research, for local adaptation to expedite the use of evidence, knowledge and guidelines in clinical practice (#113).
• requiring Comprehensive Primary Health Care Centres and Services, among others, to report publicly on progress with quality improvement and research as part of accreditation requirements (#114).