Monash University Department of Rural and Indigenous Health

About PHCRED

The Primary Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development (PHCRED) Strategy is an Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing funded program designed to increase research capacity and to support strategic primary health care research. Funded since 2000, the Strategy is now in Phase 2.

Building on the significant progress made in Phase 1 to “embed a research culture in Australian general practice and primary health care” and the subsequent increase in capacity of the Australian primary health care sector to undertake research, evaluation and development activities, the main performance indicators outlined in PHCRED Strategy Phase 2 (2006-2009) Strategic Plan (pdf file, 609kb) are:

An expanded, well-trained and increasingly competitive primary health care research workforce;

An increase in the number of research projects addressing issues of relevance to primary health care policy and practice;

The effective dissemination of evidence produced under the Strategy, and increased levels of awareness and uptake among end-users.

Major components of the PHCRED Strategy include:

The Research Capacity Building Initiative (RCBI)

The Research Capacity Building Initiative (RCBI) was established in 2000 to support University Departments of General Practices and Rural Health to provide training and support in primary health care research, particularly among local practitioners. RCBI is a key component of the Government Department of Health and Ageing Primary and Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development Strategy.

In Phase One (2000-2005) of the Strategy, the goals of RCBI were to:

assist universities to gain an enhanced capacity to assist local primary health care providers in developing high quality research, evaluation and quality assurance knowledge and skills in a way that benefits the community in which the University and Department operators and the wider Australian Community; and
improve national research capacity through cooperative work, sharing specialist expertise and supporting policy initiatives.

Phase One achievements provide the infrastructure necessary for Phase Two (2006-2009) under RCBI. Approaches that will continue to form the basis for RCBI programs in Phase 2 include:

Research supervision and mentoring
Research networks
Courses and workshops
Local bursaries and awards
Support for Divisions of General Practice