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

Completed

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.

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