Institute of Rural Health

Prospectus

Good health is one of the essential ingredients of rural life. Health and wellbeing comprise a much broader vision than the traditional concept of the diagnosis and treatment of illness although the development and retention of a workforce fit for purpose in rural areas remains a key issue. The IRH offers a range of services to support the improvement of rural health and wellbeing:

Research & Projects

The IRH research programme produces high quality research covering a range of issues connected with rural health and wellbeing: evaluation, satisfaction surveys, health impact assessment, integrated impact assessment and commissioned research. As a result of its research programme the IRH is able to offer a range of services that use its expertise:

Evaluation

Evaluation is used to determine the effectiveness and success of a project, policy, or programme, helping to ensure that stated objectives are met, identifying problems and weaknesses in order that they can be rectified, ascertaining the benefits and impacts, providing evidence for future direction, and identifying the long-term impact of the project, policy, or programme.

The IRH is experienced in evaluating projects, programs, and services, and is in an excellent position to conduct external evaluations, and make independent, impartial recommendations.

If you would like further information or the opportunity to discuss your requirements please contact:

Satisfaction surveys

Having an insight into and an understanding of customer satisfaction is key to any successful quality improvement programme.

In order to allow for a transparent process and unbiased scrutiny of a service, it is advisable that review of patient satisfaction is conducted by an independent organisation.

The IRH is ideally placed to conduct independent and objective client and customer satisfaction surveys.

If you would like further information or the opportunity to discuss your requirements please contact:

Health impact assessment

Health impact assessment (HIA) explores all the future potential health and wellbeing impacts (both positive and negative) of a project or program, identifies affected parties, and can be used to modify and enhance project delivery in order to maximise the positive health and wellbeing impacts and minimise or remove the harmful effects.

Health impact assessment is an inclusive, participatory approach, involving key stakeholders at all stages in the process. These stakeholders range from key decision makers, users, to members of the community affected by the policy or programme.

As part of its research programme, IRH has conducted a number of health impact assessment projects.

If you would like further information or the opportunity to discuss your requirements please contact:

Integrated impact assessment

Integrated impact assessment (IIA) is an approach that combines elements of other impact assessments (e.g. environmental, economic, health, rural) in order to comprehensively explore the ways in which a policy or programme could have an impact. As with health impact assessment, the outcome of the integrated impact assessment process is a set of recommendations to maximise the beneficial impacts of a project or programme, and minimise or remove the negative impacts.

In the UK, the use of integrated impact assessment is still in its infancy. However, the Institute of Rural Health has undertaken work in this field, including developing an Integrated Impact Assessment Toolkit on behalf of Powys Health Alliance.

If you would like further information or the opportunity to discuss your requirements please contact:

Commissioned research

The IRH is happy to consider commissions for research.

Education and training / events

Modern healthcare involves partnership-working between the health, social care and voluntary sectors and is dependent on having an efficient and well-trained workforce, able to adapt to a changing world. The successful education programme uses a variety of formats to provide education which is targeted specifically at the needs of the rural workforce. The IRH is involved in all the stages of the educational process by providing rural experiences for school leavers and undergraduates and meeting the continuing professional development needs of the established professionals.

The IRH can work in partnership to arrange an individual event or series of events from conception, through the event itself and the evaluation of the day.

If you would like further information or the opportunity to discuss your requirements please contact:

Rural proofing

A key aspect of the IRH's work has been to develop the awareness of the rural dimension to health and wellbeing. In 2005 the IRH published the 'Rural Proofing for Health' Toolkit and has additional experience in rural proofing.

The IRH is able to assist in introducing the concept of Rural Proofing to an organisation or rural proofing new policies or strategies.

If you would like further information or the opportunity to discuss your requirements please contact:

The list above is not an exhaustive list of the services that the IRH is able to offer. So, for more information and for details on the charging structure please contact us.