Table 1 Objectives of the support services

Evidence service

To provide research evidence to clinicians, managers and policy makers for use in decision-making. This will involve:

 ▪ Disseminating high quality synthesised research evidence

  – Identifying sources of synthesised evidence

  – Establishing automated methods of capture

  – Collating evidence (eg effect, lack of effect, harm)

  – Categorising evidence by specialty and/or clinical setting

  – Prioritising based on user and health service needs

  – Translating into suitable formats based on user needs

  – Identifying relevant individuals or groups (generic or targeted)

 ▪ Reviewing research literature to identify best practice for TCPs identified as potential opportunities for disinvestment from local data

Data service

To provide health service data to clinicians, managers and policy makers for use in decision-making. This will involve:

 ▪ Investigating routinely-collected data to identify potential opportunities for disinvestment through

  – patterns of current practice (eg high volume; high cost; high rates of mortality, adverse events, readmission, reoperation, etc.; long length of stay)

  – variation in practice across Monash Health sites (eg high cost drug use at hospital A versus hospital B) or between Monash Health and other similar health services (caesarean section rates at Monash tertiary campus versus other tertiary campus)

 ▪ Utilising routinely-collected local data to assess extent of use and relevance of TCPs identified as potential opportunities for disinvestment from reviews of research evidence

Capacity Building Service

To educate, train and support clinicians, managers and policy makers to use research and data in decision-making and then implement and evaluate these decisions in successful projects. This will involve provision of:

 ▪ Education and upskilling programs in critical appraisal, data interpretation and organisational and clinical practice change (eg teaching modules, online resources, masterclasses)

 ▪ Capacity building and support programs (eg clinical fellowships, mentoring programs)

Project support service

To provide methodological advice and practical project support to enable effective implementation and evaluation of evidence-based decisions. This will involve provision of:

 ▪ Methodological advice and support

 ▪ Assistance with project planning and administration

 ▪ Assistance with data capture, entry and analysis