National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care: evaluation

Appendix B: Discussion Guide

RRCH Evaluation

Introductions and opening discussion

Begin by thanking the participant for their time. Explain the purpose of the interview:

This interview is part of an interim evaluation of the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care. We’re keen to hear about your experiences, views, and suggestions to help shape the Centre’s future direction. Everything you share will be treated confidentially and used only for the purposes of this evaluation.

Can you tell me about your current role and where you're based? Probe: What does your day-to-day work involve? Probe: How long have you been in this role?

How are you connected to the National Centre or its activities? Probe: Have you participated in any Centre-led programmes or initiatives?

What motivated you to engage with the Centre? Probe: Was it a personal interest, professional need, or organisational encouragement?

Rural Education and Training

Let’s talk about any education or training activities you’ve accessed through the National Centre.

What education or training activities have you accessed or delivered? Probe: Which ones were most useful or relevant to your role? Probe: Were there any you hoped to access but couldn’t?

How did you access or deliver this training? Probe: Was the format (e.g., online, blended) suitable for your needs? Probe: Did you face any challenges with the delivery method?

Can you share an example of how you’ve applied or will apply new knowledge in your role? Probe: What was the situation and what did you do differently? Probe: What was the outcome?

In what ways has this education or training helped you professionally? Probe: Has it improved your confidence, skills, or ability to support others?

Have you noticed any changes in how you deliver care, manage or plan services as a result? Probe: Are these changes sustained or one-off? Probe: Have others noticed or commented on these changes?

What barriers have you faced in accessing or delivering rural-specific training? Probe: Time, format, relevance, supervision, awareness?

Rural Research and Evaluation

Now I’d like to ask about any research or evaluation activities you’ve been involved in that relate to rural health.

Have you been involved in any research or evaluation activities supported by the Centre? Probe: What was the focus of the work? Probe: Was it local, national, or international?

What was your role in these activities? Probe: Were you a participant, advisor, researcher, or collaborator?

How has this involvement benefited you? Probe: Skills, recognition, confidence, visibility?

Has this work led to shared learning? Can you describe how? Probe: Was it published, presented, or shared internally?

What challenges did you face in engaging with rural research or evaluation? Probe: Funding, supervision, time, awareness, isolation?

Rural Leadership and Best Practice

Let’s move on to leadership and best practice in rural health

Are you involved in or aware of any rural networks for knowledge sharing or collaboration? Probe: Which networks and what do they focus on?

Can you describe any National Centre rural networks or leadership projects you've participated in? Probe: What was your role and what did the project aim to achieve?

What impact has your involvement had? Probe: Confidence, influence, new connections, changes in practice?

Are you aware of work starting on rural leadership within the Centre? Probe: What have you heard or seen so far?

What has limited your ability to engage with leadership or network activities? Probe: Time, relevance, format, awareness?

Recruitment and Retention

Are you aware of or involved in any recruitment and retention programmes led by the Centre? Probe: What do these programmes involve? Probe: Have they made a difference locally?

Have you accessed any new support or guidance to improve rural healthcare recruitment/retention? Probe: What kind of support and how useful was it?

What do you think is most needed to improve rural healthcare recruitment and retention locally? Probe: Policy changes, incentives, training, community engagement?

Overall Centre Evaluation

We’re interested in your overall impressions of the National Centre and its progress so far.

How well do you think the Centre is progressing across its four priority areas? Probe: Which areas are strongest or need more focus?

Have you seen examples of positive change through the Centre’s work? Probe: Can you describe any specific initiatives or outcomes?

What personal benefits have you experienced from engaging with the Centre? Probe: Professional development, collaboration, confidence?

Can you share any examples of good practice from the Centre’s work? Probe: What made these examples stand out?

Do you have suggestions for how the Centre could improve? Probe: What would make the biggest difference?

Are there individuals or groups the Centre should engage with more? Probe: Who is currently missing or underrepresented?

Future Direction and wrap-up

Finally, we’d like to hear your thoughts on the future direction of the Centre.

To what extent do you support expanding the Centre’s scope beyond rural primary care? Probe: Why do you feel that way?

What barriers do you see to expanding the scope? Probe: Workforce, funding, collaboration, relevance?

What would help support this expansion? Probe: Partnerships, resources, leadership, evidence?

Thank you very much for the discussion, is there anything not already covered that you would like to mention?

Thank and close