Gill Westhorp
Charles Darwin University, The Northern Institute, Faculty Member
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
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Realist evaluation (Pawson and Tilley, 1997) and realist synthesis (Pawson, 2006) were developed to assist policy makers and program staff to find pathways through complexity - specifically, to develop and test usable theory about complex... more
Realist evaluation (Pawson and Tilley, 1997) and realist synthesis (Pawson, 2006) were developed to assist policy makers and program staff to find pathways through complexity - specifically, to develop and test usable theory about complex and varied interventions applied across multiple contexts. One of the central ideas is that understanding how and why something works, or does not, in particular contexts can assist with practical decision-making: whether to use a particular kind of program in a particular situation; how to adapt a program to a particular context; and so on. But if complication and complexity are the norm in social programs (Rogers, 2012, Westhorp, 2012, Westhorp, 2013), how exactly does realist synthesis address this? Can it in fact deal with the complication and complexity of real programs and real decisions? And how might practitioners and policy makers actually use the results? This chapter explores these questions through the lens of a recently completed reali...
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This case demonstrates the integration of realist action research and co-design to address the complex social problem of long-term reliance on welfare benefits. Realist action research combines a realist philosophy of science and the... more
This case demonstrates the integration of realist action research and co-design to address the complex social problem of long-term reliance on welfare benefits. Realist action research combines a realist philosophy of science and the questions that flow from it with an action research cycle. Realist approaches to evaluation and planning seek to explain for whom in what contexts and how impacts are generated or might be generated. Action research seeks to solve real world problems, trialling solutions until a ‘best fit’ solution is reached. The article describes the principles underpinning the methodology and the research cycles through which the project worked – situation analysis; prioritizing; co-design; trialling and further refining ideas for change. It demonstrates the development and testing of program theory for one service innovation. It also reflects on the experience and potential benefits of this approach.
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Background Many of the problems confronting policy- and decision-makers, evaluators and researchers today are complex, as are the interventions designed to tackle them. Their success depends both on individuals’ responses and on the wider... more
Background Many of the problems confronting policy- and decision-makers, evaluators and researchers today are complex, as are the interventions designed to tackle them. Their success depends both on individuals’ responses and on the wider context of people’s lives. Realist evaluation tries to make sense of these complex interventions. It is a form of theory-driven evaluation, based on realist philosophy, that aims to understand why these complex interventions work, how, for whom, in what context and to what extent. Objectives Our objectives were to develop (a) quality standards, (b) reporting standards, (c) resources and training materials, (d) information and resources for patients and other lay participants and (e) to build research capacity among those interested in realist evaluation. Methods To develop the quality and reporting standards, we undertook a thematic review of the literature, supplemented by our content expertise and feedback from presentations and workshops. We syn...
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... Page 5. 5 Section 1. Introduction ... 12 Weight/circuit training 13 Weight/circuit training 12 ... 12 In Tea Tree Gully the most common activities that respondents participated in were PE class, walking and yard work and the most... more
... Page 5. 5 Section 1. Introduction ... 12 Weight/circuit training 13 Weight/circuit training 12 ... 12 In Tea Tree Gully the most common activities that respondents participated in were PE class, walking and yard work and the most wanted were ten pin bowling, soccer and trampoline. ...
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The Remote Primary Health Care Manuals (RPHCM) project team manages the development and publication of clinical protocols and procedures for primary care clinicians practicing in remote Australia. The Central Australian Rural... more
The Remote Primary Health Care Manuals (RPHCM) project team manages the development and publication of clinical protocols and procedures for primary care clinicians practicing in remote Australia. The Central Australian Rural Practitioners Association Standard Treatment Manual, the flagship manual of the RPHCM suite, has been evaluated for accessibility and acceptability in remote clinics three times in its 20-year history. These evaluations did not consider a theory-based framework or a programme theory, resulting in some limitations with the evaluation findings. With the RPHCM having an aim of enabling evidence-based practice in remote clinics and anecdotally reported to do so, testing this empirically for the full suite is vital for both stakeholders and future editions of the RPHCM. The project team utilized a realist evaluation framework to assess how, why and for what the RPHCM were being used by remote practitioners. A theory regarding the circumstances in which the manuals h...
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Background: There is growing interest in theory-driven, qualitative and mixed-method approaches to systematic review as an alternative to (or to extend and supplement) conventional Cochrane-style reviews. These approaches offer the... more
Background: There is growing interest in theory-driven, qualitative and mixed-method approaches to systematic review as an alternative to (or to extend and supplement) conventional Cochrane-style reviews. These approaches offer the potential to expand the knowledge base in policy-relevant areas- for example by explaining the success, failure or mixed fortunes of complex interventions. However, the quality of such reviews can be difficult to assess. This study aims to produce methodological guidance, publication standards and training resources for those seeking to use the realist and/or meta-narrative approach to systematic review. Methods/design: We will: [a] collate and summarise existing literature on the principles of good practice in realist and meta-narrative systematic review; [b] consider the extent to which these principles have been followed by published and in-progress reviews, thereby identifying how rigour may be lost and how existing methods could be improved; [c] usin...
The 'Advocacy and children and young people' package is part of a new Advocacy Training Program which has received national recognition. The program caters for: current and new workers; workers who are called advocates; and... more
The 'Advocacy and children and young people' package is part of a new Advocacy Training Program which has received national recognition. The program caters for: current and new workers; workers who are called advocates; and workers in health care, social work, law, youth work, and childcare.
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This report was commissioned by the HIV/AIDS Programs Unit, SAHC, to inform planning for a third South Australian HIV/AIDS Strategy.
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... Page 5. 5 Section 1. Introduction ... 12 Weight/circuit training 13 Weight/circuit training 12 ... 12 In Tea Tree Gully the most common activities that respondents participated in were PE class, walking and yard work and the most... more
... Page 5. 5 Section 1. Introduction ... 12 Weight/circuit training 13 Weight/circuit training 12 ... 12 In Tea Tree Gully the most common activities that respondents participated in were PE class, walking and yard work and the most wanted were ten pin bowling, soccer and trampoline. ...