AAAPC 2019 Extraordinary General Meeting
There will be an Extraordinary General Meeting held via teleconference at 8:00 am AEDT on 12 December 2019 to enable the membership to vote on constitutional changes.
To access the EGM documents and teleconference (Zoom) link, please log into the AAAPC site and click on the Members Only tab. Please send your queries and RSVPs (due by 5 December 2019) to aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au.
AAAPC Travelling Fellowship applications closing very soon
The AAAPC Travelling Fellowship provides up to $3000 for an AAAPC member for travel towards research and/or education in 2020. It is part of the AAAPC's aim to promote and develop primary care as a creative, cooperative and mutually supportive discipline.
Early career academics are strongly encouraged to apply. If you are interested in applying, please go to the website for further details. Applications close this week on November 30, 2019..
AAAPC Subcommittees finalised
Many thanks to all the enthusiastic members who put their hands up recently to join AAAPC Subcommittees. It is so exciting and promising to have such an active membership and we look forward to hearing more about each Subcommittee and what they are doing in the future.
A full list of the members of each Subcommittee is now available on our website.
Some members of the AAAPC Conference and Professional Development Subcommittee
Webinar updates for AAAPC members
Our webinar earlier this month, 'An Accidental Academic' with Professor Felicity Goodyear-Smith, was a great success with 21 attendees (17 from Australia, 4 from New Zealand, across a wide range of primary care disciplines) hearing a series of interesting stories and steps from Professor Goodyear-Smith's career. To find out more, visit the Webinars page on our website to watch the video.
Don't worry if you missed out, there will be plenty more opportunities next year. The Membership and Marketing Subcommittee is currently seeking nominations and requests for webinar topics for 2020. What are you interested in learning about? Whose story would you like to hear more of?
Please email your suggestions to aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au.
NAPCRG Annual Meeting
Congratulations again to Prof Grant Russell who presented 'Primary health care access for vulnerable communities: Uncovering the balance between supply and demand' as the 2019 AAAPC Distinguished Paper at the recent NAPCRG Annual Meeting in Toronto. The conference was a wonderful mix of disciplines, countries and research; expanding the horizons of primary care and seeking best possible care for patients.
Prof Grant Russell presents at NAPCRG 2019
Seeking expertise in Primary Care Educational Research
Do you have expertise in primary care educational research? Felicity Goodyear-Smith is co-editing a book on a practical guide to PHC educational research and is seeking authors for some of the chapters. If you are interested please can you complete the attached form below (titled 'Expertise in primary care research') and email it to Felicity at f.goodyear-smith@auckland.ac.nz.
Expertise in primary health care educational research.docx
Primary Health Care Reform Committee
We are glad to have had Dr Lauren Ball represent AAAPC at the Federal Government Primary Health Reform Committee Meeting on Monday November 25, where the Federal Government is developing the Australian Government Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan. Dr Ball is happy to receive input or questions from members between now and early 2020 when the plan will be finalised, and can be reached at l.ball@griffith.edu.au.
Request for course module writers
HealthCert is a Professional Education Provider currently seeking GP and/or academic writers for modules in the field of Women’s Health and Men’s Health. For further details or to express interest, please contact Christine Guyler via christine@healthcert.com.
Welcome to New AAAPC Members
We warmly welcome all new members to AAAPC - if you would like your bio to be published in the monthly newsletter, please email aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au. This is a great way to build networks within our community.
Until next month,
Dr Melinda Choy, AAAPC Editor
melinda.choy@anu.edu.au
Register now for our upcoming webinar!
'An Accidental Academic' - November 2019
Now is the time to register for our upcoming webinar on Wednesday the 6th of November 11am-12pm AEST!
Professor Felicity Goodyear-Smith from the University of Auckland will be sharing some of her career journey and stories of co-design research projects involving Pacific people in South Auckland, Māori youth in Northland, and primary care researchers in low- and middle-income countries.
Professor Felicity Goodyear-Smith is Professor and Goodfellow Postgraduate Chair in the Department of General Practice & Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medical & Health Science at the University of Auckland. She is a general practitioner and also the founding Editor of the Journal for Primary Health Care. She has been blessed with being able to pursue a full and varied primary care research career over the past nearly two decades.
All primary health care researchers and teachers are welcome to attend. This will be the final AAAPC webinar for 2019.
Please register via the link below:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the webinar.
Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting - December 2019
The AAAPC Executive Committee are calling an Extraordinary General Meeting at 8am-9am AEDT on December 12, 2019 to enable the membership to vote on constitutional changes.
To find out more and to view the relevant documents (constitution with proposed changes, table of changes, proxy form), please go to the relevant page on the website. Please note that the the EGM documents are only able to be viewed by AAAPC members.
To RSVP please email aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au by 5th December 2019.
Travelling Fellowship Applications Now Open
The AAAPC Travelling Fellowship provides up to $3000 for an AAAPC member for travel towards research and/or education in 2020. It is part of the AAAPC aim to promote and develop primary care as a creative, cooperative and mutually supportive discipline.
Early career academics are strongly encouraged to apply. If you are interested in applying, please go to the website for further details.
Applications close November 30, 2019.
Vale Professor Peter Mudge
Many of you will have heard the sad news that Emeritus Professor Peter Mudge passed away early in October. Professor Mudge was President of the Australian Association for Academic General Practice (as AAAPC was then known) for a number of years prior to 2000. Subsequent to that he was a lively contributor to the organisation’s meetings, and was always willing to help early career researchers.
Professor Mudge’s early research involved describing the epidemiology of Ross River Virus in the Riverland region, for which he was awarded the Faulding Prize for Research in 1982. His advisory work to the National Health and Medical Research Council contributed to 10 years of funding for primary health care research in Australia in the early part of the 2000s.
Professor Mudge's academic roles included: the University of Dundee, Flinders University (where he was awarded the title of Honorary Doctorate of Science, honoris causa), the University of Queensland (where he was later awarded the title of Emeritus Professor of General Practice) and Professor of General Practice at the University of Tasmania.
Throughout his academic career, Professor Mudge always made time to keep up his clinical work, despite busy teaching and research commitments, providing care to his patients and his local community as a general practitioner.
Professor Mudge was an inspirational leader within the RACGP, always raising the profile of general practice research. He served as chair of the College Council, Chair and Patron of the RACGP Foundation (which raises funds to support general practice research and education) and Chair of the RACGP National Research Awards Committee.
The RACGP went on to establish the Peter Mudge Medal to honour his work and commitment in general practice and primary care research. This national medal is awarded annually to the presenter at the RACGP Annual Conference whose original research has the most potential to significantly influence daily general practice in Australia. This is a fitting tribute to his work in raising the profile of research in primary care in Australia.
Professor Dimity Pond Professor of General Practice, University of Newcastle
We warmly welcome all new members to AAAPC - if you would like your bio to be published in the monthly newsletter, please email aaapc.secreteriat@anu.edu.au. This is a great way to build networks within our community.
Interested in joining a AAAPC Subcommittee?
The AAAPC has four subcommittees, including:
AAAPC is seeking to expand the membership of each of the subcommittees. More detail can be found on the website under the page AAAPC Subcommittees.
Hopefully you have already received an emailed link to a poll to express your interest in joining one of the AAAPC Subcommittees. If you are an AAAPC member and did not receive an email or did not yet look at the poll, please complete the poll here (You will need to sign in to see it). The poll will be open until the 1st of October.
A list of interested members will then be sent to the Chairs of the subcommittees, who will contact you to discuss further. We hope to include all members who volunteer, but also to ensure each subcommittee has a diverse range and practical number of members.
Huge NHMRC success for Primary Care Research!
Congratulations to the following AAAPC members who were successful in the first round of the National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Grants. These are very prestigious awards and a wonderful recognition of hard work and research excellence;
Prof Paul Glasziou. Leader. Neglected problems in health care. $2,701,595.
Dr Lauren Ball. Emerging Leader 2. Capitalising on the potential of the primary care setting to facilitate healthy eating in the Australian population. $1,526,912.
Dr Liz Sturgiss. Emerging Leader 1. Enhancing primary healthcare for adults on low incomes with obesity - an intervention development study. $639,500.
Dr Geoff Spurling. Emerging Leader 1. Developing, implementing, and testing a co-created health assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in primary care. $366,925.
Upcoming NHMRC Opportunity for Primary Care Research
The Medical Research Future Fund has identified Primary Care Research as a priority area for funding for the upcoming NHMRC Investigator Grant round, for EL1 and EL2 applicants.
This is an exciting opportunity! Please read more here and consider applying.
Expressions of Interest for Hosting the 2021 AAAPC Annual Research Conference
The Conference Committee is seeking Expressions of Interest from University departments who are interested in hosting the 2021 AAAPC Conference. To host the AAAPC Conference, we require a suitable space, AV set up and the Department's ability to assist with onsite conference needs prior and during the event. The space needs to cater for at least 300 delegates, and include rooms for break-out sessions and plenaries. The conference budget does cover University space costs.
For further information or to express your interest, please email Liz Sturgiss (Chair Conference and Professional Development subcommittee, liz.sturgiss@monash.edu) by the end of October 2019.
AAAPC AGM Minutes
If you have not already noticed, the July 2019 AGM Minutes can be found on the AGM page of the website, as part of the 'Consolidated AAAPC 2019 AGM documents'.
In the future, verified minutes of the AAAPC Executive Committee Meetings will also be available on the website.
For new and newish members
Upcoming Webinar
We are looking forward to hearing Professor Felicity Goodyear-Smith from the University of Auckland speak at a webinar on Wednesday the 6th of November from 11am-12pm AEST.
The title is 'An accidental academic'. Professor Goodyear-Smith will share some of her career journey and stories of co-design research projects involving Pacific people in South Auckland, Māori youth in Northland, and primary care researchers in low- and middle-income countries.
All primary health care researchers and teachers are welcome to attend!
https://unimelb.zoom.us/webinar/register/a71a45ec157e565566858a512be5123a
AAAPC Subcommittees
AAAPC has four subcommittees:
If you are a member of AAAPC and interested in becoming more involved, joining one of the subcommittees is an excellent way to start. Brief descriptions of the subcommittees are available on the website.
Please stay posted over the next week for an email with instructions on how to express interest in joining a subcommittee.
NHRMC Peer Review Panel Self-Nominations closing (very) soon
NHMRC self-nominations for peer review are open until 28 August. Self-nominations are entirely acceptable and happen through the NHMRC Research Grants Management System.
All primary care researchers should be encouraged to self-nominate. It is a great learning opportunity and we need more primary care researchers to be involved.
Further details can be found here: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/resources/nhmrc-peer-review-panels-guidance-self-nominations
Invitation to participate in NHMRC-funded development of a new guideline for stroke prevention
Calling those interested in participating in a multidisciplinary, multi-speciality formation of new guideline for stroke prevention for the International Union of Angiology. The focus will be on carotid artery disease with implications for all arterial disease prevention. The aim is to update the field and overcome procedural biases in existing guidelines. The project involves systematic reviews of guidelines and studies regarding how to best define and modify arterial disease risk factors (including hypertension, lipids, smoking etc) for primary and secondary prevention.
All work is done via email and variable time contributions are accommodated. For further information please email anne.abbott@monash.edu and see FACTCATS.org and https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/anne-abbott.
A/Prof Anne Abbott Neuroscience Department Central Clinical School Monash University
We warmly welcome all new members to AAAPC - if you would like your bio to be published in the monthly newsletter, please send it to aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au. This is a great way to build networks within our community.
AAAPC 2019 Annual Research Conference
July 12-13 saw 161 delegates from Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada gather in Adelaide for the inaugural AAAPC Annual Research Conference. There were 72 oral presentations and 53 poster presentations showcasing a wide range of quality multidisciplinary primary care research. The keynote sessions were dynamic thought-provokers, including the first ever Dangerous Ideas and Great Debate sessions. It was a wonderful time to meet and make new friends amongst an encouraging and enthusiastic community of researchers.
Congratulations again to Conference Prize Winners Dr Amy Bestman (AJPH Best Paper), Dr Katelyn Barnes (Best Poster) and Dr Hok Lim (Best Poster) who were recognised at the closing ceremony of the conference.
Special thanks again to Dr Liz Sturgiss and the AAAPC Conference Committee, including Prof Nigel Stocks and the hosting group. Thanks also to conference sponsors CSIRO Publishing and PC4.
Don't forget to lock August 14-15 2020 away in your calendars for the AAAPC Annual Research Conference next year on the Gold Coast!
2019 Bridges-Webb Medal Winner
A huge congratulations to Professor Elizabeth Halcomb who was awarded the prestigious Bridges-Webb Medal for 2019 at the conference dinner. It is a well deserved recognition of Liz's internationally significant academic primary care research contribution and leadership, particularly in her work around primary care nursing. The award was presented by last year's winner Professor Ngaire Kerse. Congratulations again Liz!
2019 AAAPC Annual General Meeting
The constitution was changed at the Annual General Meeting held during the conference and Chairs of the Working Groups were added to new AAAPC Executive Committee.
The next step will be building up the membership of the different Working Groups - stay tuned for more information coming soon about how you can be involved!
2019 AAAPC NAPCRG Prize
Grant Russell and the paper 'Primary health care access for vulnerable communities: Uncovering the balance between supply and demand' was selected by a panel of 3 senior primary care academics as the 2019 AAAPC Distinguished Paper to be presented at the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) Annual Meeting in Toronto, November 2019. Warmest congratulations to Grant and his co-authors.
Help bring Prof Chris del Mar home from hospital
Chris was following one of his before-work passions when, in February 2019, during an early morning surf at Miami beach on the Gold Coast, he sustained a very high level spinal cord injury.
After spending over 3 months in intensive care in a Brisbane hospital, Chris has recently moved into the hospital’s spinal rehabilitation unit. Some of the priorities are to arrange home modifications and equipment, and make arrangements for the ongoing care that he’ll need, so that he can return home as soon as possible.
Chris’ equipment needs range from the mundane (e.g. hospital bed), to those which will enable him to participate in life and the community (e.g. powered wheelchair, modified vehicle, and various specialised communication and IT devices).
Chris is in the very unusual and unfortunate situation that he is not eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (due to the age cut-off), or any other insurance coverage. This means that he will not receive any funding for the considerable home modifications which are necessary for him to leave hospital. He will receive limited government assistance for only some of the equipment that he needs.
The path to adjustment to a new way of being is difficult. Any contributions will facilitate Chris’ discharge home and help to enhance his quality of life. Your support is most gratefully received.
This is the link to the gofundme page for Chris.
Kind regards
Jane
Associate Professor Jane Smith
Head of General Practice Discipline
Bond University
Vera Costa - Monash University
As a trained Psychology researcher, and an experienced mental health clinician, I have a strong expertise and passion in mental health, application and evaluation of evidence-based treatments for depression and anxiety disorders across the life span, and translation and impact of research findings in clinical practice.
I hold an academic position within the Department of General Practice at Monash University supporting the implementation of a large NHMRC Partnership Grant to help GPs adhere to a work-related Mental health guideline. IMPRovE is a stepped-wedged cluster randomised and pragmatic trial aiming at fostering high-quality GP behaviour towards patients with work related mental health conditions, using academic detailing, resource provision and support through a community of practice.
I am also a Research Fellow at Swinburne University of Technology, I manage a team of research assistants and clinicians in the implementation of a NHMRC Project Grant that evaluates a novel intervention designed to assist newly admitted aged care residents adjust to their new environment, through the introduction of tailored strategies to meet their psychological needs.
My research output includes 11 peer-reviewed publications, multiple conference presentations and ongoing collaborations with national and international multi-center and multi-disciplinary research teams in Australia and the UK.
My research interests are on primary care mental health clinical research, socio-cognitive, and behavioral change interventions that promote quality of life, healthy ageing, and evidence-based clinical practice.
We warmly welcome all new members to AAAPC - if you would like your bio to be published in the monthly newsletter, please email aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au.
This is a great way to build networks within our community.
Quick note from your new editor: Hi! I am a new GP fellow and keen early career academic based in Canberra. I know I have big shoes to fill after Liz Sturgiss' wonderful work but I am looking forward to learning lots as I go. See you next month in your inbox!
AAAPC 2019 Annual Research Conference - 12 -13 July
Registrations are now open for the conference – we are looking forward to welcoming you all to Adelaide for a fantastic two days celebrating primary care excellence in our region.
AAAPC ARC 2019.pdf - this flyer is about the conference and can be distributed to your networks.
AAAPC Annual General Meeting - Friday 12th July
All members should have received the notice for the AGM and papers to nominate for the 2020 executive. There are also constitution changes that will be voted on at the AGM.
The AGM will be held during the Adelaide conference on Friday 12th July.
Please contact aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au if you did not receive the email.
Nominations for the 2020 Executive roles are due on 5th July 2019. All members are encouraged to apply and play an active role in our growing, dynamic organisation.
AAAPC members at the 72nd World Health Assembly
In 2018 Executive Committee member Lynsey Brown (Flinders University/PHCRIS) and AAAPC member Kaara Calma (University of Wollongong) were accepted into the World Health Organization’s Primary Health Care Young Leaders Network (YLN). This year, their role with the YLN saw them attend the 72nd World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
At the World Health Assembly the World Health Organization’s (WHO) work is reviewed, new goals and priorities are set and new tasks assigned. Attending this event in the YLN delegation was an incredible opportunity to be immersed in a global health environment and observe the decision making from member states that will guide the WHO’s future activities.
Kaara was one of 7 members of the YLN to speak on a panel in the youth-led discussion on PHC in achieving Health For All; raising important concerns about the acute care focus in nursing education and training and the need to see greater recognition of PHC in curricula.
WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasised PHC as a dominant priority for the WHO and for global health, acknowledging that there is no universal health coverage without PHC. It was fantastic to see the Assembly approve the PHC resolution welcoming the Astana Declaration (in which member states committed to PHC) and encouraging finalisation of the Operational Framework by 2020. One of the key operational levers of this Framework centres on PHC-oriented research and the need for systems, policies, strategies and plans to be informed by the best available evidence.
Lynsey and Kaara had the opportunity to attend technical briefings and participate in side events on key topics linked to not only PHC and Universal Health Coverage but palliative care, health performance measurement, healthy ageing, health workforce shortages, vaccine hesitancy, multisectoral action, community empowerment and meaningful youth participation. Their work with the YLN will continue until October 2019.
Young Leaders Network at the Palais des Nations
Opportunities for research and engagement
Member seeking research recruitment:
We are interested in how general practitioners choose which medication to prescribe
We are seeking General Practitioners (GPs) to participate in a 30 to 60 minute interview to discuss their own prescribing practices.
This research is approved by The University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee (ID: 1954477.1). We aim to better understand the factors that influence GPs' prescribing decisions within the Australian context.
You will receive a $100 Coles & Myer Group gift voucher to thank you for the time you spend on this project.
Want to get involved?
Contact Dr Hok Lim hokl@unimelb.edu.au
What you need to do: Complete a brief pre-interview questionnaire. You will then be invited to attend an interview at a time and location convenient for you. Face-to-face interviews are preferred, but phone/internet interviews are also possible if that is more convenient for you.
(AAAPC members are welcome to submit opportunities for research and recruitment in the monthly newsletter. This is provided as a service to AAAPC members only and submissions will be reviewed by the Editor. Members can direct queries to aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au)
The Conversation - seeking expert opinion
This invitation has come to AAAPC via Dr Brett Montgomery (UWA). The journalist is happy for the invitation to be shared with colleagues.
As discussed, I'm looking for someone to write about the possibility of various medicines being shifted from schedule 4 to schedule 3. Some of the medicines proposed for this rescheduling include trimethoprim, sildenafil, triptans, and the contraceptive pill.
We've published the pharmacy perspective on this (https://theconversation.com/making-more-drugs-available-over-the-counter-would-be-a-win-for-the-public-and-the-health-care-system-113453) but I'd be interested in the general practice perspective on this issue. Are there potential problems? E.g. eliminating the need for regular consultations, antibiotic resistance, etc.
Let me know if you have any thoughts on who may be well-placed to write something on this.
Thanks and kind regards,
Phoebe
Phoebe Roth Assistant Editor, Health & Medicine, The Conversation AU
M 0423 333 937 Twitter @Phoebe_Roth
Level 1, 715 Swanston Street Parkville VIC 3010 Australia
We warmly welcome all new members to AAAPC - if you would like your bio to be published in the monthly newsletter, please email aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au This is a great way to build networks within our community.
From the editor: I have thoroughly enjoyed being the AAAPC Editor over the last two years. I won't be re-standing for the Editor role at the upcoming AGM. I would be happy to speak with anyone who is considering nominating - it is a great way to meet other researchers across the region and is a practical way to practice writing and editing skills. Please email me at liz.sturgiss@monash.edu if you would like more information on what the role has involved.
AAAPC Upcoming Webinar
'Polishing the Diamond': Prof Jane Gunn, University of Melbourne
6 June 2019, 10:00am-11:00am AEST
Join us for our next Webinar featuring Professor Jane Gunn from the University of Melbourne. We welcome all primary health care researchers and teachers to attend.
Please register at: https://unimelb.zoom.us/webinar/register/0953ec190c3b3be5d746f627e8486654
Jane Gunn is Professor and Foundation Chair of Primary Care Research and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at The University of Melbourne. She has served as Head of the Department of General Practice at The University of Melbourne from 2009-2017. She is a General Practitioner and has established a successful primary care mental health research group and is involved in leading primary care reform.
In this talk Jane will share her story of building a research program around depression and the intersection of depression with chronic physical health problems. Jane's research journey began with the mission of understanding how depression was being managed in general practice and how we might further strengthen the role that primary care plays in maintaining emotional wellbeing. Over the past 15 years or so Jane has focused on understanding the patient experience of care and the context in which care is delivered; as well as understanding the natural history of depression and developing a model of care that can be delivered in primary care which addresses the biopsychosocial needs of people experiencing depressive symptoms.
AAAPC 2019 Annual Research Conference - 12/13 July
We are delighted to announce that the Australian Journal of Primary Health is sponsoring the conference and providing an online supplement with all abstracts. We thank AJPH for their ongoing commitment to supporting high quality primary care research in Australasia.
BRIDGES-WEBB MEDAL Nominations now open
The Bridges-Webb Medal is awarded to an AAAPC member who has made, and will continue to make, sustained high level contributions to academic primary care.
This prize is one of the ways AAAPC's commits to fostering and supporting career development in academic primary care.
Nominations for the 2019 Medal are now open. The winner will be announced at the Annual Research Conference Dinner in Adelaide in July 2019
Eligibility criteria:
- Current financial member of AAAPC
- Has made a significant contribution to the academic environment of primary care teaching and/or research to an international competitive standard
- Is continuing in academic primary care and is likely to make further contributions.
Please see the website where further detail are available and where you can download the nomination form.
Completed nomination forms and CV of the nominee need to be emailed to aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au by 5pm AEST on 15th June 2019.
Thoughts and best wishes from AAAPC to Chris Del Mar for continued forward progress in his recovery
Chris Del Mar remains in Intensive Care with a high level spinal injury requiring ventilation but the good news is that he is fully conscious, mentally intact and able to communicate. He has another few weeks in halo traction before the spinal fracture is stable but even before the traction is removed he will able to move out of ICU to a rehabilitation centre. A recent step forward is that Chris now has a speaking valve for the ventilator so he can communicate more easily. Chris is as keen to contribute as ever and from his bed in ICU has been involved in reviewing articles from the Centre of Research in Minimising Antibiotic Resistance in the Community for journal submission.
FACES - Friends Advancing Careers through E-based Support
Are you a member of AAAPC and looking to advance your career through research?
2019 will see the start of the FACES of AAAPC program. FACES stands for “Friends Advancing Careers through E-based Support” and is a 1 year program where groups of researchers will come together to provide mentoring, advice and collegial discussions about career advancement in primary care research and academia. It is designed to suit all levels of researchers, from PhD candidates, right through to established senior researchers.
If you participate, you will be placed into a group and invited to take part in bi-monthly lunchbox webinar sessions on topics such as career planning, goal setting, research fellowships, grantsmanship, collaborations, plus more. We will also be arranging a face-to-face meeting for cohorts at the inaugural AAAPC Research Conference.
Please express your interest in joining by Friday 10th May. Please note this opportunity is only available to AAAPC members.
'Polishing the Diamond': Prof Jane Gunn, University of Melbourne 6 June 2019, 10:00am-11:00am AEST
Join us for our next Webinar featuring Professor Jane Gunn from the University of Melbourne. We welcome all primary health care researchers and teachers to attend!
In this talk Jane will share her story of building a research program around depression and the intersection of depression with chronic physical health problems. Jane's research journey began with the mission of understanding how depression was being managed in general practice and how we might further strengthen the role that primary care plays in maintaining emotional wellbeing. Over the past 15 years or so Jane has focussed on understanding the patient experience of care and the context in which care is delivered; as well as understanding the natural history of depression and developing a model of care that can be delivered in primary care which addresses the biopsychosocial needs of people experiencing depressive symptoms.
Congratulations to Distinguished Speakers
Congratulations to Prof Danielle Mazza (Monash University) who has been awarded the highest scoring abstract for the Annual Research Conference. The abstract titled “The Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRoject (ACCORd): Results of a cluster randomised controlled trial aimed at increasing Long Acting Reversible Contraceptive (LARC) uptake” will be presented at the plenary session on Saturday 13 July.
Congratulations to Dr Lauralie Richard (University of Otago) who has been awarded the highest scoring abstract from an Early Career Researcher. The abstract titled “Providing care to refugees through mainstream general practice in Southern New Zealand: what are the perspectives of general practitioners and practice nurses?” will be presented at the plenary session on Saturday 13 July.
The abstracts submitted this year were of excellent quality. All authors have been notified about the outcome of their submission. Please contact liz.sturgiss@monash.edu with any questions.
We are delighted to announce that the Australian Journal of Primary Health is sponsoring the conferences and providing an online supplement with all abstracts. We thank AJPH for their ongoing commitment to supporting high quality primary care research in Australasia.
RCGP Research Conference and RCGP workshop 2019 in London – report from AAAPC member, Dr Heinz Tilenius
I attended the RCGP half day workshop on 28.3., and the RCGP annual research conference on 29.3.2019, where I presented a poster of part of my MPH dissertation form Glasgow University. The RCGP conference was only held for the second time this year. Both workshop and conference took place at the College of General Practitioners in London. Both events were chaired by Professor Roger Jones, the current BJGP editor. The research workshop was excellent and consisted of three modules. The RCGP conference the next day was informative, at times interactive, and extremely well organised. The advice provided for writing and how to maximise the opportunity to get a paper published was both invaluable and practical.
The delegates included some distinguished guests, such as Professor Michael Kidd, University of Toronto and WHO director. Further, Professor Helen Stokes Lampard, current chair of the RCGP, and Clare Gerada, previous RCP chairperson, and a very influential GP in the UK, were speakers. I felt inspired by the collaborative approach of the workshops, the quality of the masterclasses, overall content of the conference and the research presented. The posters shown appeared to be of high standard and the poster section was, considered that this conference is only 2 years in the running now, sizeable, with more than 30 posters presented.
In my opinion, Australasia would be well placed to initiate a similar annual or every two years conference from one of its leading primary care journals, as it should further research, its quality and publications in our region. Such an event might even be part of the new AAAPC conference.
(editor – thank you to Heinz for providing this report for the newsletter. If you are attending a conference and would like to share your experiences with other AAAPC members, please email us at aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au)
Annual Research Conference - 12-13 July
Thank you to everyone who submitted abstracts for the upcoming conference. The high quality of the submissions is a reflection of the great primary care research that is happening in our region.
Abstracts will be distributed to peer reviewers before the end of the week. Reviewers are asked to return their ratings by Friday 5th April.
Registrations are now open – if your membership is up-to-date, you are able to register at the reduced rate by logging in with your email and password.
We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to Adelaide for this exciting event.
AAAPC 2019 Annual Research Conference:
Do you have links to organisations who may be interested in sponsorship at #ARC2019? We will have sponsorship opportunities for keynotes, prizes and marketing brochures. We would welcome contact from people and organisations who are interested in supporting Australasian primary care research excellence - aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au
Upcoming event - AAAPC Webinar
When: Thursday 6th June 2019, 10:00am-11:00am AEST. Please register via the link below: https://unimelb.zoom.us/webinar/register/0953ec190c3b3be5d746f627e8486654
Seeking your views and ideas
The Australian Research Council (ARC) is currently reviewing the classification codes they use to classify research and development in Australia. They are seeking input from peak bodies.
AAAPC is willing to address this issue if our members feel we should, but we need input from members.
Please let us know - do you believe the Australian & NZ Standard Research Classifications including the Fields of Research (FOR) and the Socio-Economic Classification (SEO) categories appropriately embrace and reflect what is needed in the primary care space?
If you feel strongly about this please email us at aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au. Our Policy and Advocacy group will collate the responses and, if necessary will feed into the ARC's consultation process.
Thanks for your engagement
Kirsty Douglas
President AAAPC
AAAPC Membership – online renewal now available
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Vision
AAAPC's vision is for a multidisciplinary primary care oriented health care system founded on patient-centred, primary care principles and developed through evidence and education.
Mission
To be Australia and New Zealand's leading advocate for high quality multidisciplinary primary care research, education, policy and practice.
Members
We are a proudly multidisciplinary Trans-Tasman organisation. Our members are from Australia and New Zealand. All share a passion for primary care and include:
Thank you for ongoing support of AAAPC
https://aaapc.org.au/membership
*Spark* Paper of the month – by Dr Lauralie Richard
This month’s paper was suggested by Prof Kirsty Douglas as it caught her eye as of relevance to the wider primary care research community.
Oliver K, Cairney P. (2019). The dos and don’ts of influencing policy: A systematic review of advice to academics. Palgrave Communications, 5 (21).
Academics are routinely urged to create impact from their research - to change policy, practice, and even population outcomes. However, there are few empirical evaluations of strategies to enable academics to create impact based on strong scientific evidence. In this recent systematic review, Oliver & Cairney systematically searched for, and synthesised, the ‘how to’ advice found in the academic peer-reviewed and grey literature. Learn more about this important work and gain critical insight about key choices and tensions in engaging with policymakers, and useful, informed advice for academics on when, how, and if to engage with policymakers.
Book review
This month’s book was suggested by Dr Katrina Long – a classic text that is often mentioned in academic circles. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn has paved the way for how we think about paradigms, philosophy, and research practice. It is good to read and reflect on the current primary care research climate – why do we do what we do? And do we need to shift our thinking?
Until next month
Dr Liz Sturgiss, AAAPC Editor
12-13 July, University of Adelaide
The call for abstracts is now open - oral presentations, posters, and skills building workshops are all welcome. We also have a new abstract category - "Dangerous Ideas" - modelled on the successful idea first developed in Canada and now also in the UK.
Both completed and research in progress are available for submission. A poster on your research in progress is a great way to get feedback and connect with researchers with similar interests.
The call for abstracts closes on 14 March. Early career researchers and HDR students are warmly encouraged to apply.
Do you have links to organisations who may be interested in sponsorship at #AAAPC19 ARC? We will have sponsorship opportunities for keynotes, prizes and marketing brochures. We would welcome contact from people and organisations who are interested in supporting Australasian primary care research excellence - aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au
Congratulations to AAAPC members
Dr Karyn Alexander (Monash University) is a finalist in the 2019 Victorian Premier's Awards for Health and Medical Research for her doctoral work on preventive health services for children in general practice.
Tim Kariotis recently passed his PhD confirmation at the University of Melbourne. We keenly await his research on information continuity in the mental health space.
Do you have good news to share with AAAPC member? Please send your stories to aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au with "Newsletter" in the subject line.
Upcoming Conferences
17th Qualitative Methods Conference from the International Institute for Qualitative Methodology - This international conference will be held in Brisbane from 1-3 May. Two days of skills building workshops are also happening before the conference. Registrations are open.
2019 Migration, Health and Wellbeing Conference - The conference will take place in Dunedin (NZ) on November 28-29 2019. More details are provided on the conference website.
These conferences are suggested by members - please send any suggestions for external conferences to aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au
*Spark* Paper of the Month - from Dr Lauralie Richard
Breannon Babbel, Mhairi Mackenzie, Annette Hastings & Graham Watt (2019) How do general practitioners understand health inequalities and do their professional roles offer scope for mitigation? Constructions derived from the deep end of primary care, Critical Public Health, 29:2, 168-180, DOI: 10.1080/09581596.2017.1418499
This article investigates the role of general practitioners (GPs) in addressing the wider structural causes of health disparities. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 GPs working in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas of Scotland. GPs primarily viewed their role in mitigating health disparities through individual patient encounters. Moving beyond the individual encounter, GPs’ views varied in how they perceived their role extending to structural causes of health, including actions to change local systems, and more significantly, to influence higher level policies relating to social determinants of health. The study suggests that there is scope to strengthen ‘structural competency’ amongst GPs working in disadvantaged areas, with potential implications across the disciplines of primary health care.
Book Review
I have to thank Dr Jason Agostino (ANU) for sending me this month's book - "Net Loss: The Inner Life in the Digital Age" by Samual Smee from The Quarterly Essay. This essay explores the "self", how this is characterised when engaging with social media, and the dangers of "boxing" people into categories based purely on their digital footprint. I think Jason was perhaps sending me a subtle message about my Twitter use? Have a read and see what you think for yourself.
liz.sturgiss@monash.edu
