Evaluation of after hours primary care policies and services

Rosemary McKenzie has led evaluations of the national After Hours Primary Healthcare Program for the Australian government; the after hours GP helpline for Healthdirect Australia; Financial models to support after hours care in metropolitan Medicare Locals; after hours primary care projects and development of investment principles to guide after hours funding allocation in rural and regional areas for a Primary Health Network.

Aims: Each of these projects aimed to assess progress and performance in development and delivery of after hours primary care policy and services and provide strategic guidance on future policy and service directions.

Key expertise provided:

  • Policy research and analysis
  • Implementation and impact evaluation
  • Mixed methods evaluation approaches including a realist theoretical perspective
  • Stakeholder and consumer consultation
  • Knowledge translation to support policy and service improvement, innovation and investment.

Findings:

The evaluations provided evidence on strengths and weaknesses in early implementation of after hours primary care reforms and identified directions for policy and service improvement and investment.

Publications:

Dunt, D., McKenzie R. Solutions, not problems: a new era in after-hours care? Annals of Internal Medicine, 2017; 166(10):752-753. DOI:10.7326/M!7-0821 IF 16.593

McKenzie, R., Dunt, D. & Yates, A. Patient intention and self-reported compliance in relation to emergency department attendance after using an after hours GP helpline. Emergency Medicine Australasia. 2016; doi: 10.1111/1742-6723.12619

McKenzie, R. Consumer awareness, satisfaction, motivation and perceived benefits from using an after hours GP helpline – a mixed methods study. Australian Family Physician, 2016; 45:512-517.

McKenzie, R., Williamson, M & Roberts, R. Who uses the ‘after hours GP helpline’?  A profile of users of an after hours primary care helpline. Australian Family Physician, 2016; 45:187-192.

McKenzie, R., & Williamson, M. The league of extraordinary generalists: a qualitative study of professional identity and perceptions of role of GPs working on a national after hours helpline in Australia. BMC Health Serv Res, 2016; 16(1), 142. doi:10.1186/s12913-016-1387-5