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Australian Health Review Australian Health Review Society
Journal of the Australian Healthcare & Hospitals Association
RESEARCH ARTICLE

What a great idea! Someone should evaluate that…

David D. Schmidt
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Edward Ford Building (A27), The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. Email: dsch5166@uni.sydney.edu.au

Australian Health Review 40(3) 270-272 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH14215
Submitted: 6 November 2014  Accepted: 15 May 2015   Published: 22 June 2015

Abstract

How often, as clinicians, do we see a really clever idea implemented in the workplace? In rural health in particular, creative work-around solutions are relatively commonplace. However, the evaluation and promotion of these ideas is less so, and this leads to lost opportunities for perpetuating these clever ideas. This paper explores one rural clinician’s experience of what can happen if, instead of appreciating and complementing a great idea, that step of evaluating the great idea is taken. A reflective narrative was created, beginning with a corridor conversation (‘What a great idea! Someone should evaluate that…’), continuing through a formal research project and ending with the impact of that project and the way its findings were communicated and implemented. The narrative outlines the effect of evaluating one great idea at the individual, workplace, organisational, state and national levels. Clinicians are well placed to identify great ideas in practice. Making the decision to evaluate these ideas can lead to personal growth, professional discovery and organisational benefits. With motivation and organisational support, who knows where evaluation may lead?


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