8th Health Services and Policy Research Conference 2
Dr Penny Buykx attended the 8th Health Services and Policy Research Conference, 2-4 December 2013, Wellington NZ and presented a paper.
Conference report
The conference was an exceptionally valuable networking opportunity. I have track record in the area of medication overdose and for some time have been developing a project concept involving the use of ambulance data to examine ambulance attendances at both overdose and other mental health events. I met with the research manager from Ambulance Victoria (who is responsible for negotiating research partnerships) and other paramedics and received considerable encouragement to pursue this idea.
The conference also provided useful networking in another area of interest: I have recently completed a working paper on spatial accessibility to alcohol and drug services in rural and remote Australia. I not only met the authors of some of the articles included in my review, but was able to discuss with them in greater depth the analysis methods used. These conversations have significantly informed my thinking on this topic and will make a useful contribution to a peer-review paper I am now preparing as part of the CRE work plan.
Overall I found the quality of the concurrent sessions to be high and of relevance to the school research strategy. I saw a number of papers regarding primary care and patient centred care, the highlight of which was Josee Lavoie from Canada describing an innovative program for the delivery of care in remote communities of British Columbia.
The plenary sessions were also very interesting. The three who made the strongest impression on me were Selwyn Button describing quality improvement in Aboriginal Controlled Health Services in Queensland, Jane Hall discussing how research can support primary health care system development and Stephen Duckett’s perspective on health reform. I recommend this conference to others, and sincerely thank the Committee for the support provided to attend.
Oral presentation
I made an oral presentation Research to inform alcohol and other drug system design and development in a climate of change on behalf of a large national consortium of alcohol and drug researchers. The paper was presented in the methods stream and described a mixed methods study to examine the relevant health service systems across Australia and patient experiences of that system. The paper was well received, as evidenced by questions following the session and a number of delegates approaching me afterwards to discuss the work in greater depth.
In addition to describing the broader project, I was able to highlight the component of the project conducted in the Bendigo region which focussed on treatment in a regional (rather than metropolitan) setting, thereby promoting the capacity of the school to be a valuable research partner. Data analysis for the project is currently underway in conjunction with preparation of a report to the funder. A number of manuscripts for peer review publication are to be submitted in 2014, including one specific to the rural component of the project.