Pathways to research impact in primary healthcare: What do Australian primary healthcare researchers believe works best to facilitate the use of their research findings?

Background: Primary healthcare researchers are under increasing pressure to demonstrate measurable and lasting improvement in clinical practice and healthcare policy as a result of their work. It is therefore important to understand the effectiveness of the research dissemination strategies used. The aim of this paper is to describe the pathways for research impact that have been achieved across several government-funded primary healthcare projects, and the effectiveness of these methods as perceived by their Chief Investigators.

What research impacts do Australian primary health care researchers expect and achieve?

Background: Funding for research is under pressure to be accountable in terms of benefits and translation of research findings into practice and policy. Primary health care research has considerable potential to improve health care in a wide range of settings, but little is known about the extent to which these impacts actually occur. This study examines the impact of individual primary health care research projects on policy and practice from the perspective of Chief Investigators (CIs).

The feasibility of determining the impact of primary health care research projects using the Payback Framework.

Background: Primary health care research is under pressure to be accountable to funders in terms of benefits for practice and policy. However, methods to assess the impact of primary health care research must be appropriate to use with the diverse topics, settings and approaches of this sector. This project explored the feasibility of using the Buxton and Hanney Payback Framework to determine the impact of a stratified random sample (n = 4) of competitively funded, primary health care research projects.

Allied health professionals providing psychological treatments in general practice settings. What options are there?

Background: This article is based on a literature review and discussion document developed for the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging to assist in its deliberations on the structure of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Program (BOMH).

Objective: This article examines issues regarding the engagement of allied health professionals in the delivery of specific time limited and evidence based counselling interventions in the general practice setting.

Discussion: Specific issues examined include employment and administrative arrangements, citing of these services, communication between general practitioners and counsellors, as well as clinical supervision and support.