Table 3 How projects and their findings informed policy and practice

Policy Impacts

Agenda and priority setting, e.g., attracting funding to the issue of interest, identifying priority groups and settings for intervention.

“[evaluation findings] I think it did have an effect because we were able to promote the issue of hearing loss and the need for protection and in a way that we hadn’t been able to before and it’s just become a more important issue.”(EU1 - Rural hearing)

Informed policy debates, e.g., data used in briefings with health ministers, inform parliamentary debates, and met with senior bureaucrats.

“[attended]…the Victorian State Parliament inquiry into mental illness and work, and talked about mental first aid, and the politicians were very enthused about it all…And we’ve certainly met with individual politicians, and individual public servants. (CI - Mental Health First Aid )

Informed policy planning, e.g., identifying areas for investment in tai chi for older people and smoking cessation brief intervention.

“…knowing that tai chi could be effective in resisting falls, means that it’s something that we can promote and recommend for falls prevention.” (EU1 - Tai Chi and Falls)

Directly underpinned new policy, e.g., provision of mental health first aid in human service agencies across Australia, inclusion of physical activity in the NSW Falls Prevention Policy 2007–2010, importance of developing specific measures to reduce smoking in mental health units.

“…in the early days where people were struggling with implementation of the smoke-free workplace policy, sort of just showed a way for the people and a comprehensive approach…And to be able to demonstrate that we could affect change across whole hospitals was really an important thing to be able to say that it can be done. “ (CI - Nicotine Dependent Inpatients)

Used to support existing policy, e.g., importance of smoke free environments in mental units, supported the implementation of NSW Smoke-free Workplace Policy and proved that the strategies proposed in the NSW Guide for Nicotine Dependent Inpatients could be implemented.

“…it sort of reinforced the understanding that mental health services are a specific and special case. And that we needed to make sure that we had specific guidelines and that there was more buy in from consumers and psychiatrists and all of the other stakeholders.” (EU2 - Reducing Smoking in Mental Health Units)

Evaluated existing programs, e.g., Rural Hearing Conservation.

Practice Impacts

Informed organizational development in the health sector, e.g., provided that standardized approach provision of smoking cessation advice in health services.

“So Mental Health First Aid is core business for a lot of people working in, what was typically a tertiary and mental health service, people providing clinical services, now there’s a big health promotion, early intervention strategy…” (EU2 - Mental Health First Aid)

Lead to new intervention tool and resources, e.g., standardized provision of tai chi, mental health literacy training, provision of exercise for stroke survivors, materials to support falls prevention in aged care facilities.

“it’s provided a model of best practice that’s been able to be implemented really broadly.” (EU2 - Falls and Aged Care)

Informed professional development for health staff, human service workers and fitness leaders, e.g., smoking cessation brief interventions, provision of tai chi to older people.

“[project officer] now has a PhD, she’s a lead researcher and program manager and developer in our organization and that really come out of the opportunity. If the funding had not been there to do that program of work, that wouldn’t have happened…” (EU1 - Nicotine Dependent Inpatient)

Informed and supported existing health promotion programs, e.g., Rural Hearing Conservation Program, Tai Chi for Older People.

Informed program planning, e.g., choice of target groups and settings for intervention and availability of treatment programs.