Call for Papers
Guest Editors
Liz Sturgiss, Associate Professor Research, Monash University, Australia
Michael Wright, Associate Professor, UNSW, Australia
Brendan Goodger, General Manager, Primary Care Improvement, Central and Eastern Sydney PHN, Australia
This special issue will contribute to our understanding of innovation in primary health care. There are many frontline clinicians, commissioning organisations, and policy makers who are developing new ways of working, new models of care and new ways of collaborating with patients and communities. Sometimes these innovations are not given an opportunity for documentation in the literature and we hope this special issue will provide a new avenue for collecting these examples of practice and innovation.
AJPH publishes on issues influencing community health services and primary health care, particularly comprehensive primary health care research, evidence-based practice (excluding discipline-specific clinical interventions) and primary health care policy issues.
Overview: The primary health care community is consistently working towards more effective ways of working to make a meaningful difference to patients and our communities. This focus on quality improvement is highlighted by the Continuing Professional Development required of primary care clinicians with categories focused on Measuring Outcomes and Reflective Practice. Quality improvement is part of being an effective primary care clinician. The global primary health care community has seen various efforts to measure and assess the comprehensive, generalist work of primary care. These measurement efforts have had varying success with some indicators changing behaviours in unwanted or unforeseen ways. Reflections on how we measure what matters in primary health care would be warmly welcomed in this special issue.
The Australian Journal of Primary Health has different formats for articles that encourage a range of submissions. We expect that the “Practice and Innovation” format will be heavily utilised in this issue.
Ethics approval: All research must be conducted in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research | NHMRC and AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research, or the similar national organisation in your country. Most research requires prospective approval by a human research ethics committee. However, some quality improvement research does not require formal ethics approval or only needs a waiver from an appropriate committee. Please contact our editorial team if you have questions about your quality improvement project and ethics approval prior to submission.
Key questions: Papers may address the following topics (or other relevant questions):
- Innovation – What are the latest innovations in primary health care?
- Models of care – Evaluations and assessments of new models of care within primary health care
- Consumer engagement – What do consumers think about quality improvement in primary health care?
- Health outcomes – How do we measure what matters? How are patients and communities involved in answering this important question?
- Capacity building – How can clinicians be supported to be engaged in quality improvement and reflective practice?
Submission: We invite submissions by 30th April 2025, with subsequent peer review in the usual thorough manner, swift online publication following acceptance, and the issue out in late 2025. Your paper should conform to the Author Instructions. Articles may be up to 4000 words with editorial discretion if further words are required; please indicate in your EOI if you require an extended word count. Please submit your complete manuscript online at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/csiro-py and remember to select “Quality Improvement and Evaluation in Primary Health Care” during the submission process. Contact for questions: Liz Sturgiss <liz.sturgiss@monash.edu>
About the Journal
The Australian Journal of Primary Health (AJPH), published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Australian Institute for Primary Care & Ageing, La Trobe University, is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes research articles, literature reviews, reports of evidence-based practice and innovation, forum articles and letters. The AJPH aims to provide its readers with information on issues influencing community health services and primary health care, and on integrating theory and practice utilising perspectives from a range of disciplines. Please see further information at http://www.publish.csiro.au/py.
Coming Soon
Guest Editors
Professor Virginia Lewis, La Trobe University
Professor Fran Baum, University of Adelaide
Dr Connie Musolino, University of Adelaide
This special issue, to be published in mid-2025, will explore the power and potential of community health care to strengthen health systems and improve population health and wellbeing. It will highlight a variety of models, programs, policies and approaches to community health and examine their past, current and possible future contributions.
Overview
Community Health models
While there are many health services delivered in the community, the focus of this special issue is on not-for-profit community health organisations that provide a comprehensive primary health care service through interprofessional teams. While there is no agreed definition of a “community health centre”, these models are characterised by their aim to integrate primary care services, health promotion programs, and population/community health programs, … have a commitment to equity and social inclusion and put emphasis on access to health care (with special attention given to the most vulnerable) and place a strong emphasis on community engagement and civic participation in health and health care (See https://www.ifchc.org/what-are-chcs/). Reflecting this description, the well-established Community Health sector in Ontario, Canada formed an Alliance whose membership includes a wide range of community-governed, interprofessional, primary health care organisations delivering comprehensive PHC. They describe the model of care in this way:
Alliance members offer primary care services in combination with health promotion and community development activities to address medical and biological issues, and to improve the circumstances in which people live, work, play and age. Comprehensive primary health care not only improves the health of individuals, it creates healthier communities – inclusive, connected and caring places where everyone feels they belong and are empowered to take control of their health and wellbeing.
(https://www.allianceon.org/model-health-and-wellbeing)
The Australian context
A number of services that could be described today as community health centres (CHCs) were operating in Australia during the 20th Century. A major impetus for the growth of the model was provided when the Whitlam Labor government established the first Community Health Program in Australia in 1973, aiming to provide universal primary health care services across Australia based on the social model of health. A range of services and programs were funded under the program, including CHCs in metropolitan and rural areas. However, the establishment and implementation of these services varied greatly across the states and territories. In 1981, discrete funding for the program from the Commonwealth was discontinued. Despite this, the services and related programs provided by CHCs continued in most states with different models of operation and governance and with varying levels of government support.
About the Journal
The Australian Journal of Primary Health (AJPH) is published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the Australian Institute for Primary Care & Ageing at La Trobe University. The AJPH is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes research articles, literature reviews, reports of evidence-based practice and innovation, forum articles and letters. The AJPH aims to provide its readers with information on issues influencing community health services and primary health care, and on integrating theory and practice utilising perspectives from a range of disciplines. For further information please see http://www.publish.csiro.au/py.
