Workplace-based health research training: a qualitative study of perceived needs in a rural setting.

Background: The calls for increased numbers of researchers in rural health are growing. To meet this demand, training is needed. If training is to be effective, the value placed on research, the organisational need for research training and key targets for research skill development within a rural health organisation must be understood.

The place of research in the rural health workplace structure: a content analysis of a rural health organisation's strategic and operational documents.

Introduction: Research training is conducted within rural health organisations without a clear understanding of the role of research within the structure of the organisation itself, potentially limiting the effectiveness of that training. This study sought to identify the role of research within the organisational structure of a large rural health organisation in Australia. Specifically, the study sought the answer to the following questions: Is research identified within the strategic documents of the organisation? If so at what level of the organisation is responsibility for research attributed? Is research identified within the position descriptions of staff? If so, at what level of the organisation are staff expected to conduct research? Is there evidence of research activity elsewhere within the organisational structure?

Methods: This qualitative study used a critical realist approach and content analysis to identify and contextualise the terms 'research' and 'evaluation' within publicly available and internal documents from a large rural health organisation in New South Wales, Australia.

Attitudes and beliefs of staff to feedback following the review of adverse events in clinical care.

Objective: To undertake a pilot project to determine how clinical and non-clinical staff perceive feedback given to them following clinical incident reviews.

Methods: An online survey was devised and sent as a link to staff across the Murrumbidgee Local Health District who would be likely to submit patient-related adverse incidents into the NSW Health Incident Information Management System.

Results: Two hundred and twenty-eight responses were received.