Health Q Consulting (Health Q) was appointed by the Royal Flying Doctor Service – Central Operations (RFDS CO) in May 2021 to evaluate and undertake community consultation in Northern and Far Western South Australia (NFWSA), focusing on remote healthcare services (including primary evacuations).
The overarching objectives of the evaluation were:
1. To evaluate what has occurred over the past five years following the 2013 Review, collaborate on what the future service plan needs to be, and potentially seek feedback on the revised strategic plan.
2. For RFDS CO's third-party communities, to evaluate current service provision and consult on current and emerging unmet needs. This included consultation with key stakeholders in these communities on the effectiveness of partnership operations and opportunities for improvement in this area.
The evaluation domains were established to meet these objectives:
Appropriateness | Needs and gap analysis Accessibility and responsiveness Governance and leadership |
|---|---|
Effectiveness | Outcomes Partnerships and coordination |
Efficiency | ​Budget performance Capacity building |
The evaluation consulted with a broad selection and representation of stakeholders designed and implemented in a way that maximised participation, promoted cultural safety and ensured consistent and reliable data collection. Consultations included the use of face-to-face, telephone and Zoom interviews, community consultations, focus groups, and surveys (online or paper-based, where appropriate).
A summary of the breadth and range of stakeholder involvement is summarised below, with consultations including:
Workforce survey, 38 respondents
Supplementary RFDS CO employee interviews, 10 employees
Consumer survey, 92 responses
Community consultations, 110 participants in 13 forums
Third-party hospital, clinic and stakeholder interviews, 14 participants
Findings workshop (RFDS CO employees), 15 participants
The communities visited by Health Q during the RFDS evaluation were:
Oodnadatta
Marree
Andamooka
Marla
Glendambo
Blinman
Leigh Creek
Yalata
Oak Valley (via Zoom)
The final evaluations report presented 21 recommendations which were accepted by RFDS CO.
You can read more about out program evaluation experience here: