AAAPC Annual Research Conference Update: August 14-15 2020

The AAAPC 2020 Annual Research Conference [now online] thanks the team of abstract reviewers who have been working hard recently. Keep an eye on the website over the next few weeks as registrations are soon to re-open for our online conference!

Friends Advancing Careers through E-based Support (FACES) 2020 Update

FACES 2020 commenced in early April with an interactive presentation from A/Prof Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis to develop grant writing skills. The FACES group will meet again in June to discuss Research Impact with Dr Liz Sturgiss. Applications for FACES 2020 are now closed but if you would like more information contact the AAAPC ECR and Capacity Development Chair Dr Rita McMorrow: rita.mmcmorrow@unimelb.edu.au.

AAAPC Membership Feedback Survey 2020 Results

Thank you to all who participated in our recent AAAPC Membership Feedback Survey! We had 69 responses from our 264 members (response rate ~26%) and we reviewed the results closely at our recent AAAPC Executive Committee Strategic Meeting. Notable findings included: 

• 67% of respondents have been satisfied with AAAPC communication over the last 12 months (22% neutral, 2% dissatisfied).
• The most popular respondent primary reason/s for joining AAAPC were to support primary care academia, networking and advocacy.
• Only 39% of respondents would be supportive of a membership fee increase to expand AAAPC scholarships/offerings.
• When asked whether they would recommend AAAPC to someone else, 38% said yes, 42% were passive and 20% said no.
• Suggestions for improvement included asking for a broader primary care focus, stronger networks, greater transparency in decision-making and communication.

A full description of the survey results is available in the Members Only section of our website (button below). Please know that we hear you and have been reflecting on how we can best change/maintain things to reflect your feedback.

The effect on outcomes of country-specific strategies and primary health care strength in the COVID-19 pandemic response: An international study - request for survey participation

We hope you are faring as well as possible in your respective countries. We are writing to invite you to participate in a study on the role of primary care in the current pandemic response. We want to know how prepared you think your country was to deal with COVID-19, how your country responded, the nature of your primary health care system, and changes that have been made in fighting this pandemic.

Please consider completing the anonymous survey (link in button below). It should take no more than 15 minutes of your time. Should you have any queries, or suggestions about whom else we should approach to complete this survey, please email PHC_COVID@kkinder.de or Prof Felicity Goodyear-Smith, f.goodyear-smith@auckland.ac.nz.

From the research team: Felicity Goodyear-Smith, Karen Kinder, Robert Phillips, Andrew Bazemore, Cristina Mannie, and Stefan Strydom

Update on advocacy for Australian Practice Based Research Network capacity

Most of you will have seen our President's (Kirsty Douglas) recent email update on AAAPC efforts for advocacy within Australia to develop national Practice Based Research Network capacity. An extract of it is below.

We would propose that we continue to work with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and Australian Clinical Trial Alliance (ACTA) to maximise our chances of success and would aim to submit a proposal for funding to the Department of Health and to the Health Minister. I believe it is important that AAAPC is actively involved in this. The COVID pandemic has highlighted the enormous strengths and flexibility of our primary health care system but it is now also clear that we need better coordination, and capacity in primary care research to ensure we optimise rapid high quality research outcomes. The proposal would focus on the need for funding a national PBRN network that would improve capacity and response times for primary care research in Australia.

Please let us know if you are interested in working with us on this. We will need to have a small and engaged group that can work intensely on this with RACGP and other stakeholders in the next few weeks. Please send suggestions, feedback and indication if you are willing to be involved to aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au.

Celebrating some AAAPC Members

A shout-out to some members who have had some recent publication success:

• Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis and team: General practice research: An investment to improve the health of all Australians
• Liz Sturgiss: Trust within your team during a pandemic
• Louise Stone: General practice, COVID-19 and living with uncertainty
• Annette Peart: The experience of care coordination for people living with multimorbidity at risk of hospitalisation: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

I am sure that this list does not comprehensively include the many achievements of all of our members (apologies). But please feel free to send me an email at melinda.choy@anu.edu.au when you or someone you know has a new publication out or receives an award so that we can all celebrate them!

Call for Papers from The Journal of Health Organization and Management