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An Innovation Platform to Strengthen Primary Health Care Systems for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: A Methodologically Pluralist Evaluation

Project Summary

Innovation platforms bring together diverse stakeholders to exchange ideas about addressing challenging problems. The inherent complex nature of innovation platforms poses challenges for evaluators, and although it is recommended that multiple evaluation methods be used, this is not commonly done in practice. In this study we used a methodologically pluralist approach to evaluate and iteratively refine an innovation platform to strengthen primary health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. The pluralist design used four evaluation approaches—developmental evaluation, principles-focused evaluation, network analysis, and framework analysis.

Our Investigators

  • Dr Jodie Bailie
  • Dr Alison Laycock
  • Associate Professor Veronica Matthews
  • Professor Ross Bailie
  • Professor Megan Passey
  • Dr Kathleen Conte

Collaborators

  • Professor Roxanne Bainbridge, University of Queensland
  • Professor David Peiris, University of New South Wales
  • Associate Professor Seye Abimbola, University of Sydney

Status

Completed

What were the key findings?

The methodologically pluralist evaluation of an innovation platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander quality improvement in primary health care yielded a nuanced understanding of a complex intervention that would have been difficult to achieve with any single evaluation method. When multiple methods produce similar findings on a singular topic, these findings are further strengthened, contributing to the rigor of the evaluation. As such, each sub-study, individually and combined, was able to open the ‘black box’ of the innovation platform, informing its formation and iteratively assessing its functions and outcomes. We demonstrated the value of emergent and innovative evaluation methods, with a particular emphasis on participatory approaches. Such methods can enhance our understanding of the impact that complex interventions have on strengthening health systems and providing high quality care for all.

Resources

An Innovation Platform to Strengthen Primary Health Care Systems for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: A Methodologically Pluralist Evaluation. USYD. 2022 

Reflecting on the quality of a methodologically pluralist evaluation of a large-scale Indigenous health research collaboration in Australia. BMJ Glob Health. 2024 Aug

Comparing and contrasting ‘innovation platforms’ with other forms of professional networks for strengthening primary healthcare systems for Indigenous Australians. BMJ Glob Health. 2018 May

Using developmental evaluation to enhance continuous reflection, learning and adaptation of an innovation platform in Australian Indigenous primary healthcare. Health Res Policy Syst. 2020 May

Principles guiding ethical research in a collaboration to strengthen Indigenous primary healthcare in Australia: learning from experience. BMJ Glob Health. 2021 Jan

Collaboration and knowledge generation in an 18-year quality improvement research programme in Australian Indigenous primary healthcare: a coauthorship network analysis. BMJ Open. 2021 May

Network evaluation of an innovation platform in continuous quality improvement in Australian Indigenous primary healthcare. Health Res Policy Syst. 2022 Oct

Collaboratives Taxonomy for Analyzing Innovations from an Australian Collaborative. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2021 Nov

Methodological pluralism for better evaluations of complex interventions: lessons from evaluating an innovation platform in Australia. Health Res Policy Syst. 2022 Jan 

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