Description:
Intersectoral partnerships in health have a central role in current policy and programs. Partnerships are seen to be an effective strategy for maximising health outcomes. However, theoretical models of health partnerships are underdeveloped. Moreover, the research literature contains inconsistent findings about their effectiveness, and there has been very little evaluative research on health partnerships in this country. This paper reports on a case study of an intersectoral consortium using a health promotion approach to cardiovascular disease. A model of partnership formation and development is presented. From this, a research strategy was devised and carried out. Results indicate that the health consortium was formed inresponse to a critical health issue, and as a separate legal entity without recurrent funding, it has been sustained through the commitment of individual members. Project funding has, in large part, dictated its operations. The case study reveals the strengths, vulnnerabilities and achievements of this consortium over five years. To produce sustainable health outcomes, the researchers conclude, partnerships require strategic management to capitalise on individual endeavours, organisational alignments, and government or funder priorities. Ideological zeal for intersectoral health partnerships must be balanced by rigorous evaluation; together with more sophisticated indicators for measuring success in partnerships in health promotion. Theoretical development of models of health partnerships will also contribute to their enhanced effectiveness.
Description:
Intersectoral partnerships in health have a central role in current policy and programs. Partnerships are seen to be an effective strategy for maximising health outcomes. However, theoretical models of health partnerships are underdeveloped. Moreover, the research literature contains inconsistent findings about their effectiveness, and there has been very little evaluative research on health partnerships in this country. This paper reports on a case study of an intersectoral consortium using a health promotion approach to cardiovascular disease. A model of partnership formation and development is presented. From this, a research strategy was devised and carried out. Results indicate that the health consortium was formed inresponse to a critical health issue, and as a separate legal entity without recurrent funding, it has been sustained through the commitment of individual members. Project funding has, in large part, dictated its operations. The case study reveals the strengths, vulnnerabilities and achievements of this consortium over five years. To produce sustainable health outcomes, the researchers conclude, partnerships require strategic management to capitalise on individual endeavours, organisational alignments, and government or funder priorities. Ideological zeal for intersectoral health partnerships must be balanced by rigorous evaluation; together with more sophisticated indicators for measuring success in partnerships in health promotion. Theoretical development of models of health partnerships will also contribute to their enhanced effectiveness.
Description:
This research is supported by the Regional University Networks Water Futures Fund and the Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend and RTP Fee-Offset Scholarship through Federation University Australia.
Description:
This paper reports on an empirical research about the way in which local community relationships influence clinical health decision-making in a health service in a remote town in Victoria, Australia. Evidence-based practice is now widely promoted as the most effective and efficient basis for making clinical health decisions. However, little is known about its use in rural and remote settings. To date, researchers have assumed that the uptake of evidence-base practice among health care practitioners is primarily a function of the levels of training, resources and support provided to them. Drawing upon qualitative data from individual and group interviews with health care practitioners and managers, this research revealed that strong community relationships profoundly influence clinical decision-making. Community influence was evidenced through the blurring of health practitioner professional and private roles, the extent of community ownership and control of the health services, and the politicisation of health service delivery. The results show how local community relationships can influence clinical practice in a remote town. This advances our understanding of the determinants of the uptake of evidence-based practice. Evidence-based practice may be usefully viewed as a site of political contestation. Introduction
Description:
Technological innovation has provided enhanced capacity for knowledge building, for connection and for improved infrastructure planning in the development of the modern city. In parallel to the building of technology supported urban planning and design capacity, a debate has emerged around the need to maximise citizen participation in urban planning. The role of identity, culture and social context has been assessed as being as integral to sustainability in urban planning as is infrastructure management. In 2011 UNESCO, through the mechanism of the recommendation for Historic Urban Landscapes (HUL), created an imperative for the overt recognition of the role of culture, place and identity in sustainable urban planning. The City of Ballarat, Victoria, was the first of a series of international cities to pilot HUL and commit to inclusive citizen based collaboration in urban planning. Through online technology, a platform for partnership building was established. Developed and supported through the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation at Federation University Australia, the HUL and Visualising Ballarat portals track the diversity of urban landscapes-from built environment to geomorphology to cultural identity-and facilitate their inclusion in planning and resource allocation. Crowdsourcing was promoted as pivotal in this process, while spatial innovation provided a means through which to bring to life the notion of distinctiveness, identity and place. Through mapping intangibles across complex and diverse groups within community, the potential for improving the quality and management of the planning process was found to be enhanced. Local Area Planning provided a mechanism for a conceptual alignment of past and present and the voice of community has gained a stronger (and more disruptive) voice in determining what communities' value within their lived environment. This shift was assessed as playing an important, and increasingly recognised, role in sustainable urban planning and design.
Description:
Technological innovation has provided enhanced capacity for knowledge building, for connection and for improved infrastructure planning in the development of the modern city. In parallel to the building of technology supported urban planning and design capacity, a debate has emerged around the need to maximise citizen participation in urban planning. The role of identity, culture and social context has been assessed as being as integral to sustainability in urban planning as is infrastructure management. In 2011 UNESCO, through the mechanism of the recommendation for Historic Urban Landscapes (HUL), created an imperative for the overt recognition of the role of culture, place and identity in sustainable urban planning. The City of Ballarat, Victoria, was the first of a series of international cities to pilot HUL and commit to inclusive citizen based collaboration in urban planning. Through online technology, a platform for partnership building was established. Developed and supported through the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation at Federation University Australia, the HUL and Visualising Ballarat portals track the diversity of urban landscapes-from built environment to geomorphology to cultural identity-and facilitate their inclusion in planning and resource allocation. Crowdsourcing was promoted as pivotal in this process, while spatial innovation provided a means through which to bring to life the notion of distinctiveness, identity and place. Through mapping intangibles across complex and diverse groups within community, the potential for improving the quality and management of the planning process was found to be enhanced. Local Area Planning provided a mechanism for a conceptual alignment of past and present and the voice of community has gained a stronger (and more disruptive) voice in determining what communities' value within their lived environment. This shift was assessed as playing an important, and increasingly recognised, role in sustainable urban planning and design.
Description:
Multisectoral partnerships with local government have emerged as a strategy for solving wicked' problems in communities, although research about these types of public-private partnerships is limited. Available evidence suggests that differentials in power and status, value bases and perspectives on priorities have been problematic in partnership building with community. This paper examines the role of local government as the funded, lead organisation, in a public-private partnership for planning, designing and constructing a business accelerator in one of Australia's growth regions. Partnership scope, role and outcomes were measured against a conceptual framework mapping success indicators. Findings show core principles for successful partnership were achieved and supported by the role, capacity and commitment of local government to forming strong working relationships with consortium partners. Relationship building and commitment to collective project outcomes were pivotal to success. Further research is needed to assess whether emerging trends hold and consolidate over time.
Description:
One of the most significant issues in clinical practice for rural and remote Australia is the need for improved evidence about the most effective and appropriate interventions. Clinical research is fundamental to effective evidence-based practice. This paper assesses the extent to which an Australian rural evidence base for clinical practice has emerged over the past five years. The methodology for this study involves an analysis of one input (research funding) and one output (published evidence) concerning Australian research that specifically addresses rural health issues and includes rural, regional and/or remote populations in clinical research. The first project involves the analysis of extant databases of rural clinical research funding and funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) research allocated during the period 2000 to 2004 by two major national organisations: the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and the National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS). Data are analysed in terms of the number of grants allocated and the level of funding. The results show that, of the 5995 grants (exceeding $1.3 billion) awarded by the NHMRC, only 126 grants (2.1%) amounting to $21 million (1.6% of the total dollars) were allocated to rural/regional/remote and ATSI research. NICS has funded one rural/remote clinical research project, and has commissioned a literature review and conducted a workshop on the use of evidence by rural and remote health practitioners.
Description:
One of the most significant issues in clinical practice for rural and remote Australia is the need for improved evidence about the most effective and appropriate interventions. Clinical research is fundamental to effective evidence-based practice. This paper assesses the extent to which an Australian rural evidence base for clinical practice has emerged over the past five years. The methodology for this study involves an analysis of one input (research funding) and one output (published evidence) concerning Australian research that specifically addresses rural health issues and includes rural, regional and/or remote populations in clinical research. The first project involves the analysis of extant databases of rural clinical research funding and funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) research allocated during the period 2000 to 2004 by two major national organisations: the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and the National Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS). Data are analysed in terms of the number of grants allocated and the level of funding. The results show that, of the 5995 grants (exceeding $1.3 billion) awarded by the NHMRC, only 126 grants (2.1%) amounting to $21 million (1.6% of the total dollars) were allocated to rural/regional/remote and ATSI research. NICS has funded one rural/remote clinical research project, and has commissioned a literature review and conducted a workshop on the use of evidence by rural and remote health practitioners.
Description:
Present health funding models can place onerous pressures on rural health services. Staff may lack the time, resources, access to data, and the expertise needed to complete complex and lengthy funding submissions. This present study describes an innovative capacity-building approach to working with Victorian rural communities seeking to access health care funding through the Regional Health Services Program. This approach used several strategies: engaging stakeholders in targeted rural communities, developing an information kit and running a workshop on preparing submissions to the Regional Health Services Program, facilitating community consultations, and providing ongoing support with submissions. Six rural communities were supported in this way. Four have been funded to date, with a combined annual recurrent budget for new primary health care services of over $2.5 million. Each community has developed a service delivery model that meets the particular needs of their local area. This capacity-building approach is both effective and replicable to other health funding opportunities. The definitive version of this article is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com
Description:
Present health funding models can place onerous pressures on rural health services. Staff may lack the time, resources, access to data, and the expertise needed to complete complex and lengthy funding submissions. This present study describes an innovative capacity-building approach to working with Victorian rural communities seeking to access health care funding through the Regional Health Services Program. This approach used several strategies: engaging stakeholders in targeted rural communities, developing an information kit and running a workshop on preparing submissions to the Regional Health Services Program, facilitating community consultations, and providing ongoing support with submissions. Six rural communities were supported in this way. Four have been funded to date, with a combined annual recurrent budget for new primary health care services of over $2.5 million. Each community has developed a service delivery model that meets the particular needs of their local area. This capacity-building approach is both effective and replicable to other health funding opportunities. The definitive version of this article is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com
Description:
Health service system developments in recent decades have, both nationally and internationally, been increasingly focused on quality service delivery and the attainment of improved health outcomes. Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been promoted as a central mechanism through which to achieve improved quality and safety in health service delivery (World Health Organisation, 1999; Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council,1996).
Description:
Health service system developments in recent decades have, both nationally and internationally, been increasingly focused on quality service delivery and the attainment of improved health outcomes. Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been promoted as a central mechanism through which to achieve improved quality and safety in health service delivery (World Health Organisation, 1999; Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council,1996).
When urban policy meets regional practice : Evidence based practice from the perspective of multi-disciplinary teams working in rural and remote health service provision
Description:
"In the main, contemporary research on Evidence Based Practice (EBP) has taken place within metropolitan locations, and has offered urbocentric solutions and insights. However the transferability of these developments to rural services is untested empirically. In addition, evidence development and studies on the implementation of this evidence have tended to be discipline-stream-specific; there has been very little research into either the development of multi-disciplinary evidence guidelines or the implementation of EBP from the perspective of individual practitioners working within multi-disciplinary teams. This research shortfall has provided the rationale for this study...."
Description:
"In the main, contemporary research on Evidence Based Practice (EBP) has taken place within metropolitan locations, and has offered urbocentric solutions and insights. However the transferability of these developments to rural services is untested empirically. In addition, evidence development and studies on the implementation of this evidence have tended to be discipline-stream-specific; there has been very little research into either the development of multi-disciplinary evidence guidelines or the implementation of EBP from the perspective of individual practitioners working within multi-disciplinary teams. This research shortfall has provided the rationale for this study...."