Summary of Consultations

Scoping Study for a Centre for Allied Health Research

 The Menzies Foundation has provided funding for a feasibility study into establishing an Australian Centre for Allied Health Research in Melbourne. (see Project Plan, Perry, A., 2007).

People Involved:

A multi-disciplinary planning group was established to progress this study. Members consist of:

PI:        Professor Alison Perry, School of Human Communication Sciences,  La Trobe University.

CI:        Professor Meg Morris, School of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne 

CI:        Dr. Carol McKinstry, School of Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University

CI:        Ms Jenelle Loeliger, Senior Dietitian, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

CI:        Prof Susan Paxton, School of Psychology, La Trobe University

 Ms Carol Chenco was appointed on 1^st October, 2007 as a part-time Research Associate to this study and Ms Deb Benetti provides part-time secretarial support. 

 Since October, Carol has designed and set up an informational website and has contacted relevant key stakeholders (university Deans; academic groups, clinicians, health managers, professional and philanthropic organisations) to organise the running of focus groups and conduct interviews across Victoria.

Webpage:

An informational webpage was set up on the La Trobe University website attached to the School of Human Communication Sciences’ homepage.  This details the background to the project; introduction to the planning group; how the project will be progressed, what we expect to achieve and progress updates.  There is also a submission form for interested individuals or groups to document their views by completing the form and sending back to the Research Associate.

See: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/hcs/centreallied/index.html

Contact with Stakeholders:

Contact has been made with many stakeholders, to conduct an interview / discussion or to arrange to run focus groups or a forum. Contacts include:

·        The Department of Human Services (DHS), Victoria

·        Joanna Briggs’ Centre for Evidence Based Practice in Nursing and Allied Health in South Australia

·        Deans of the divisions of allied health at Monash, Melbourne and La Trobe universities

·        Heads of the schools of allied health at Deakin, La Trobe, Swinburne and RMIT universities

·        *Staff across the division of Allied Health La Trobe university

·        *Staff across the division of Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne

·        *Menzies scholars in allied health

·        *A Victorian dietitians’ research group

·        *The Orthopists Association of Australia

·        The director of allied health services at the Royal Childrens’ Hospital and MCRI

·        *Allied health managers and senior clinicians at Southern Health

·        Allied health managers and senior clinicians at Northern Health

·        *Allied health managers and senior clinicians at Loddon Mallee health districts

·        Allied health managers and senior clinicians at Ballarat and Stawell

·        The Chronic Illness Alliance network, and

·        *Allied health professional organisations.

*Focus Groups / Forums conducted in 2008.

All Focus Groups are run with two members of the planning group in attendance. Participants’ views are either tape-recorded for later transcription, or documented in vivo, by one of the Team, while the other person runs the group.  

Discussion revolves around four issues for each group: the need for a centre; the site for a centre; what a centre could/should provide; how should it be organised (i.e., governance).

All key points raised are identified, recorded, typed and a summary is sent back to all participants for everyone who attended to amend/agree before the data are logged.

At the end of the whole process, we will aggregate all the points raised in the focus groups, then analyse the recurring themes and points of concordance, as well as recording disagreement/divergent views.

To date, close to 100 people have participated, in 10 focus groups, but we have many more focus groups to run…

For those unable to attend focus groups or discussions and/or those people who have an interest in contributing to the consultations, we encourage you all to make submissions via the pertinent section of our website.

Carol Chenco, Research Associate

Wednesday, 21 January 2009