Relational aspects of building capacity in economic evaluation in an Australian Primary Health Network using an embedded researcher approach

BACKGROUND: Health organisations are increasingly implementing ‘embedded researcher’ models to translate research into practice. This paper examines the impact of an embedded researcher model known as the embedded Economist (eE) Program that was implemented in an Australian Primary Health Network (PHN) located in regional New South Wales, Australia. The site, participants, program aims and design are described. Insights into the facilitators, challenges and barriers to the integration of economic evaluation perspectives into the work of the PHN are provided. METHODS: The eE Program consisted of embedding a lead health economist on site, supported by offsite economists, part-time, for fifteen weeks to collaborate with PHN staff. Evaluation of the eE at the PHN included qualitative data collection via semi-structured interviews (N= 34), observations (N=8) and a field diary kept by the embedded economists. A thematic analysis was undertaken through the triangulation of this data. RESULTS: The eE Program successfully met its aims of increasing PHN staff awareness of the value of economic evaluation principles in decision-making and their capacity to access and apply these principles. There was also evidence that the program resulted in PHN staff applying economic evaluations when commissioning service providers. Evaluation of the eE identified two key facilitators for achieving these results. First, a highly receptive organisational context characterised by a work ethic, and site processes and procedures that were dedicated to improvement. Second was the development of trusted relationships between the embedded economist and PHN staff that was enabled through: the commitment of the economist to bi-directional learning; facilitating access to economic tools and techniques; personality traits (likeable and enthusiastic); and because the eE provided ongoing support for PHN projects beyond the fifteen-week embedding period. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first detailed case description of an embedded health economics program. The results demonstrate how the process, context and relational factors of engaging and embedding the support of a health economist works and why. The findings reinforce international evidence in this area and are of practical utility to the future deployment of such programs. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-08208-7.