Primary Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development (PHCRED)

The Menzies Research Institute and the University Department of Rural Health at the University of Tasmania are part of a nationwide initiative funded by the Department of Health and Ageing designed to support strategic primary health care research.

The Primary Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development (PHCRED) strategy is a program funded by the Australian Government since 2000 to improve Australia’s capacity to produce high quality primary health care research. In building research capacity, the Strategy offers opportunities for research training, support and experience spanning the full researcher development continuum.

The goals of the strategy are:

• an expanded pool of primary health care researchers;
• more research relevant to practice and policy; and
• in collaboration with other relevant organisations, well informed primary health care practice and policy.

The major strategy components are:

• The Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute (APHCRI): tasked with providing leadership in primary health care research;
• The Research Capacity Building Initiative (RCBI): funding University Departments of General Practice and Rural Health to provide training and support in primary health care research for early career researchers;
• A program of Training Awards, and investigator-driven and priority-driven clinical research grants: administered by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC); and
• The Primary Health Care Research and Information Service (PHCRIS): providing support in the area of dissemination and knowledge-exchange.

PHCRED Tasmania is funded under the RCBI component. 

PHCRED PROGRAM

There are number of ways that PHCRED can assist PHC practitioners looking to learn more about research, or to progress research that they are already undertaking.

WORKSHOP PROGRAM

Each year a number of workshops are run around Tasmania. These workshops are primarily aimed at primary health care practitioners engaged in, or committed to embarking on, research or evaluation activities within their professional practice.

In 2008 there will be a number of Research Skills Training Workshops aimed primarily at PHC practitioners engaged in, or committed to embarking on research or evaluation activities within their professional practice. A base set of six workshops will be programmed to cover major steps in the research and evaluation process:

1. Designing a research project: research questions and methodologies.
2. Data Collection tools: surveys, focus groups and interviews
3. Introductory data analysis
4. Intermediate qualitative research
5. Writing skills
6. Conducting rigorous evaluations

The 2008 workshop program will also include a number of new workshops, and is currently being finalised. The workshop program will be available by January 2008.

MENTORING

The PHCRED program has the opportunity to provide mentoring to beginning primary health care researchers. Mentoring consists of both informal and formal mentoring. Informal mentoring is restricted to one-off help for a single research issue, whilst formal mentoring provides ongoing assistance to see a project through to completion.

RESEARCHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

The Research Development Program (RDP) aims to enhance research capacity amongst primary health care workers by providing financial and academic support to novice researchers to undertake a period of research training and experience in primary health care research alongside experienced researchers.

APPLICATIONS CLOSE FRIDAY 30th NOVEMBER. Please contact PHCRED Tasmania for more information.   

For more information, contact:

Danielle Williams

PHCRED Program Coordinator (Menzies)

Telephone: (03) 6226 4767

 

Theresa Doherty
Statewide Coordinator
Telephone: (03) 6226 4767