Evaluation of a Peer Group Model of Supervision for the Allied Health Workforce in Queensland: A descriptive overview

Purpose: An evaluation of a large scale implementation of a peer group model of professional supervision was conducted to inform service planning and guide policy and practice. A descriptive overview of the findings is presented. Method: Allied health staff trained in peer group supervision were surveyed about their experience of the model, its challenges and benefits. Interviews were also conducted with senior managers. Results: Analysis of 248 responses indicated that 72% of trained staff had participated in peer group supervision, and that these peer groups had continued for an average of 17.2 months. The majority of groups adhered to the guidelines presented at training, and found the model easy to implement and adaptable to a range of professions, settings and needs. Reported benefits included skill development as well as increased support and confidence. Improved relationships and team culture were also described. Management support and attendance at training were considered important to successful implementation. Conclusions: The evaluation demonstrated that a model of peer group supervision can be successfully implemented with a diverse and geographically dispersed allied health workforce. This model allowed professional supervision needs to be met in a group setting without the requirement for an expert supervisor. A number of benefits for individual clinicians and their teams were identified, and the need for further evaluation, in the context of widespread health reform is noted

Evaluating a team-based approach to research capacity building using a matched-pairs study design

Background: There is a continuing need for research capacity building initiatives for primary health care professionals. Historically strategies have focused on interventions aimed at individuals but more recently theoretical frameworks have proposed team-based approaches. Few studies have evaluated these new approaches. This study aims to evaluate a team-based approach to research capacity building (RCB) in primary health using a validated quantitative measure of research capacity in individual, team and organisation domains

Brief of Amici Curiae 56 Professors of Law and Economics in Support of Petition of Writ of Certiorari

28 U.S.C. § 1400(b) provides that a defendant in a patent case may be sued where the defendant is incorporated or has a regular and established place of business and has infringed the patent. This Court made clear in Fourco Glass Co. v. Transmirra Prods. Corp., 353 U.S. 222, 223 (1957), that those were the only permissible venues for a patent case. But the Federal Circuit has rejected Fourco and the plain meaning of § 1400(b), instead permitting a patent plaintiff to file suit against a defendant anywhere there is personal jurisdiction over that defendant. The result has been rampant forum shopping, particularly by patent trolls. 44% of 2015 patent lawsuits were filed in a single district: the Eastern District of Texas, a forum with plaintiff-friendly rules and practices, and where few of the defendants are incorporated or have established places of business. And an estimated 86% of 2015 patent cases were filed somewhere other than the jurisdictions specified in the statute. Colleen V. Chien & Michael Risch, Recalibrating Patent Venue, Santa Clara Univ. Legal Studies Research Paper No. 10-1 (Sept. 1, 2016), Table 3. This Court should grant certiorari to review the meaning of 28 U.S.C. § 1400(b) because the Federal Circuit’s dubious interpretation of the statute plays an outsized and detrimental role, both legally and economically, in the patent system

Brief of Amici Curiae 56 Professors of Law and Economics in Support of Petition of Writ of Certiorari

28 U.S.C. § 1400(b) provides that a defendant in a patent case may be sued where the defendant is incorporated or has a regular and established place of business and has infringed the patent. This Court made clear in Fourco Glass Co. v. Transmirra Prods. Corp., 353 U.S. 222, 223 (1957), that those were the only permissible venues for a patent case. But the Federal Circuit has rejected Fourco and the plain meaning of § 1400(b), instead permitting a patent plaintiff to file suit against a defendant anywhere there is personal jurisdiction over that defendant. The result has been rampant forum shopping, particularly by patent trolls. 44% of 2015 patent lawsuits were filed in a single district: the Eastern District of Texas, a forum with plaintiff-friendly rules and practices, and where few of the defendants are incorporated or have established places of business. And an estimated 86% of 2015 patent cases were filed somewhere other than the jurisdictions specified in the statute. Colleen V. Chien & Michael Risch, Recalibrating Patent Venue, Santa Clara Univ. Legal Studies Research Paper No. 10-1 (Sept. 1, 2016), Table 3. This Court should grant certiorari to review the meaning of 28 U.S.C. § 1400(b) because the Federal Circuit’s dubious interpretation of the statute plays an outsized and detrimental role, both legally and economically, in the patent system

Untapped potential: psychologists leading research in clinical practice

Enhancing the capacity of allied health professionals to engage in research is central to improving healthcare delivery. Psychologists have research skills given their training focus that emphasises the scientist-practitioner model. We aimed to investigate among psychologists the link between individual research capacity and their current level of research activity, how this compares with other allied health professions, and the role of team and organisation research capacity. Psychologists (n = 60) working in clinical roles in a large metropolitan public health setting completed an online survey consisting of the validated Research Capacity and Culture tool, and questions related to current research activities, barriers, and motivators. The results indicated that psychologists reported relatively high individual research capacity, higher than both team and organisation levels, and greater individual research capacity compared with studies of dietitians and a mixed group of allied health. Preliminary findings suggested that team research capacity mediated the link between individual research capacity and the level of current research activity. Finally, barriers and motivators to research activity were similar compared with studies of other allied health professions. Overall, a multi-strategy approach that focuses on and facilitates practice-based and interdisciplinary research, and enhances the leadership skills of psychologists in research, as well as broader efforts from an organisational perspective to build a strong and sustainable research culture, may contribute to the rapid use of research skills in clinical practice and improve health and healthcare delivery

A thematic analysis of the role of the organisation in building allied health research capacity: a senior managers' perspective

Background: Evidence-based practice aims to achieve better health outcomes in the community. It relies on highquality research to inform policy and practice; however research in primary health care continues to lag behind thatof other medical professions. The literature suggests that research capacity building (RCB) functions across fourlevels; individual, team, organisation and external environment. Many RCB interventions are aimed at an individualor team level, yet evidence indicates that many barriers to RCB occur at an organisational or external environmentlevel. This study asks senior managers from a large healthcare organisation to identify the barriers and enablers toRCB. The paper then describes strategies for building allied health (AH) research capacity at an organisational levelfrom a senior managers perspective.Methods: This qualitative study is part of a larger collaborative RCB project. Semi-structured in-depth interviewswere conducted with nine allied health senior managers. Recorded interviews were transcribed and NVivo wasused to analyse findings and emergent themes were defined.Results: The dominant themes indicate that the organisation plays an integral role in building AH research capacityand is the critical link in creating synergy across the four levels of RCB. The organisation can achieve this byincorporating research into its core business with a whole of organisation approach including its mission, visionand strategic planning. Critical success factors include: developing a co-ordinated and multidisciplinary approach toattain critical mass of research-active AH and enhance learning and development; support from senior managersdemonstrated through structures, processes and systems designed to facilitate research; forming partnerships toincrease collaboration and sharing of resources and knowledge; and establishing in internal framework to promoterecognition for research and career path opportunities.Conclusions: This study identifies four key themes: whole of organisation approach; structures, processes andsystems; partnerships and collaboration; and dedicated research centres, units and positions. These themes formthe foundation of a model which can be applied to assist in achieving synergy across the four levels of RCB,overcome barriers and create an environment that supports and facilitates research development in AH

Validation of the research capacity and culture (RCC) tool: Measuring RCC at individual, team and organisation levels

Research capacity building (RCB) in Australia has recently focussed on strategies that take a whole of system approach to developing research culture at individual, team and organisation levels. Although a theoretical framework exists, no tool has been published that quantitatively measures the effectiveness of RCB interventions aimed at these three levels. A sample of 134 allied health workers was used to validate the research capacity and culture (RCC) tool. Item level analysis was undertaken using Cronbach’s α and exploratory factor analysis, and test–retest reliability was examined using intra-class correlations (ICC). The tool had one factor emerge for each domain, with excellent internal consistency for organisation, team and individual domains (α = 0.95, 0.96 and 0.96 respectively; and factor loadings ranges of 0.58–0.89, 0.65–0.89 and 0.59–0.93 respectively). The overall mean score (total) for each domain was: 5.4 (inter-quartile range 3.9–7.7), 4.4 (IQR 2.6–6.1) and 3.9 (IQR 2.9–6) for the organisation, team and individual domains respectively. Test–retest reliability was strong for each domain: organisation ICC = 0.77, team ICC = 0.83 and individual ICC = 0.82. The RCC tool has three domains measuring research capacity and culture at organisation, team and individual levels. It demonstrates excellent internal consistency and strong test–retest reliability

Evaluation of a peer group model of supervision for the allied health workforce in Queensland: a descriptive overview

Purpose: An evaluation of a large-scale implementation of a peer-group model of professional supervision was conducted to demonstrate service planning and guide policy and practice. A descriptive overview of the findings is presented. Method: Allied health staff trained in peer-group supervision were surveyed about the experience of the model, its challenges, and benefits. Interviews were also conducted with senior managers. Results: Analysis of 248 responses indicated that 72% of trained staff had participated in peer-group supervision and that these peer groups had continued for an average of 17.2 months. The majority of groups adhered to the guidelines presented at training and found the model easy to implement and adaptable to a range of professions, settings, and needs. Reported benefits included skill development as well as increased support and confidence. Improved relationships and team culture were also described. Management support and attendance at training were considered important to successful implementation. Conclusions: The evaluation demonstrated that a model of peer-group supervision can be successfully implemented with a diverse and geographically dispersed allied health workforce. This model was used for professional supervision needs to be met in a group setting without the requirement for an expert supervisor. A number of benefits for individual clinicians and their teams were identified and the need for further evaluation in the context of widespread health reform was noted