Libby Kalucy, PHC RIS
“PHC RIS exists for our colleagues in policy, practice and research.”
What do I write in this last editorial before I retire from PHC RIS, when a decade at PHC RIS can be described in so many ways?
I began working for PHC RIS at the start of the new millennium, the day after I had handed four mammoth final evaluation reports on the SA HealthPlus Coordinated Care Trial to the trial managers. Ten years on, coordination features in Australia's first national Primary Health Care Strategy - but that's a topic for another time.
My time at PHC RIS has coincided with the Primary Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development (PHCRED) Strategy which has been so important for the people, projects and organisations that make up the primary health care research sector, as well as being indispensable to build up university departments of general practice and rural health. PHC RIS has supported all the aspects of PHCRED throughout this time, and Ellen McIntyre is synonymous with national and state meetings through her brilliant organisation of so many events with the rest of the PHC RIS team.
Looking back, one of the biggest changes for PHC RIS has been technological development from stand alone PCs to online systems, from cellphones like bricks to internet enabled gizmos that do everything. Our expectations of information systems are evolving so rapidly it makes the role of an information service even more interesting.
PHC RIS' role with information about Divisions of General Practice has developed in line with such technological changes to deliver sophisticated on-line interfaces and comprehensive displays of information, particularly in regard to the Divisions' Reports. This could not have happened without PHC RIS' past and current technical staff led by Simon Patterson, with their commitment and innovative solutions for providing reliable and useful online resources – not to mention the vital people providing phone support at times of crisis.
When Professor John Lavis visited PHC RIS in May he commended PHC RIS' role in conducting applied research and evaluation, generating, managing and sharing information. This has been a particularly challenging and satisfying aspect of my work with a changing cast of skilled researchers. None of what we do would keep happening without them or our administrative team, which Fiona Thomas has led so admirably since 1995.
It's been such a privilege to work here, to meet so many good people, to have an opportunity to read so much, explore so many ideas, and have the freedom to try out new things. I'd like to thank all of you for your friendliness, generosity and cooperation and I look forward to seeing many of you in Darwin in June. I wish all of you well in the exciting times ahead, using good evidence to implement health reform.
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