During the conference delegates can choose from three engaging and interactive
workshops to develop their primary care research skills!

Building an enduring primary care policy/research partnership and research network: lessons from Ontario, Canada

Presenter: Prof Michael Green (Queen's University)

INSPIRE-PHC (Innovations Strengthening Primary Health Care Through Research) is a policy/research partnership that addresses the major health system challenges that involve primary care in Ontario. For the last three years POPLAR - a network of Practice Based Research Networks, has been added to our portfolio of projects and research programs. This workshop will provide an opportunity to share the evolution and experience of this province wide network, which includes over 65 researchers from six universities, over a decade of working with government and other stakeholders with interested researchers and policy makers in Australia and New Zealand.

There will be a brief presentation (5-10 minutes) outlining the history and evolution of the research partnership over multiple governments and rounds of health system reform. A description of the program, project and governance structures of INSPIRE-PHC and POPLAR will be provided and will also be available online for review prior to or at the meeting. Attendees will be asked to bring information on their own networks or emerging networks to share with the group, and questions they would like addressed, to the session. Topics for discussion will be prioritised based on the interests of the attendees and will include governance, negotiating priorities with government, leveraging funding, approaches to integrated knowledge translation and stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and inter-institutional and team member relationships.

Practice Based Research Networks in Australian primary care: roles and direction in 2023

Presenter: Prof Nigel Stocks (University of Adelaide)

This workshop will provide a forum to discuss the role and direction of Practice Based Research Networks (PBRNs) in Australian Primary Care. The goal is to foster continued collaboration between established PBRNs and create opportunities for participants to join and help develop networks that are primary care-led.

The workshop will involved short panel-based presentations followed by facilitated interactive discussion with the audience. The panel will have experience and expertise across the following areas: infectious and chronic disease surveillance (especially in relation to the future aims of the new Centres for Disease Control), clinical trials, bottom up GP/nurse /consumer led research, use of electronic medical/health records and data linkage, interface between PBRNs/teaching/training/PHNs/quality improvement in general practice, and health services research and health professional research networks.

Game-based learning in primary care education: addressing the social determinants of health

Presenter: Dr Heather Russell (University of Sydney)

There is growing recognition that addressing the social determinants of health (SDoH) is fundamental to providing holistic patient care and tackling health inequalities, however evidence of the most effective methodologies in SDoH education is lacking. Game-based learning offers a powerful approach to improve learner engagement and motivation in a safe learning environment. Workshop participants will engage with an interactive board game developed by a team of educators and clinicians exploring the SDoH.

The objectives of this workshop are to:

1. Explore the relationship between the SDoH and health inequality in primary care;
2. Describe the roles, benefits, and pitfalls of game-based learning in primary care education; and
3. Implement game-based learning strategies for use in primary care education.

Participants will be introduced to the Rural SDoH board game and will play the game in groups of four to five, mirroring the experience of student learners. Following the game, participants will engage in discussion focusing on game-based learning in health professional and primary care education. Participants will be invited to share their own experiences of innovative education strategies in SDoH teaching and there will be an opportunity to build on or develop a game-based learning community of practice.

The board game explores the impact of the SDoH on the experiences of rural patients accessing the Australian health system. The board game is purposely designed to limit the agency of players and demonstrate the impact of the SDoH on players’ overall health and wellbeing. Progress in the game is modulated by the SDoH and is supported by robust evidence to enrich the learning experience. Participants will be able to access the board game for ongoing use after the workshop.