Participant Information Statement
Research Study: Healthed General Practitioner Survey (Healthed GPs)
Last updated: 23 April 2025
What is this study about?
Researchers from the University of Sydney and Healthed Pty Ltd are conducting a research study about the opinions and attitudes of General Practitioners (GPs) to current topics that significantly affect their practice, their profession, and patient care. Today’s survey is about the impact of menopause blogs and social media information on general practice patient consultations. Taking part in this study is voluntary. The survey is anonymous and will not be linked to your responses to the CPD training module you have just completed. Please read this sheet carefully and ask questions about anything that you don’t understand or want to know more about.
Who is running the study?
The study is being carried out by the following researchers:
- Dr Christopher Harrison, Senior Research Fellow, Sydney School of Public Health
- Dr Ramesh Manocha, Medical Educator, Healthed Pty Ltd
- A/Prof Melissa Kang, Co-Head of Specialty, Sydney Medical School – General Practice, Sydney School of Public Health
- Dr Marguerite Tracy, Senior Lecturer, General Practice Clinical School, Sydney Medical School – General Practice, Sydney School of Public Health
- Dr Julie Gordon, Research Fellow, WHO-CC for Strengthening Rehabilitation Capacity in Health Systems, Sydney School of Health Sciences
- Dr Joan Henderson, Senior Research Fellow (Hon), Sydney School of Public Health
- Prof Rod Baber, Clinical Professor, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Neonatology, Northern Clinical School
- Dr Terri Foran, Lecturer, Co-ordinator Undergraduate Medical Program in Women’s Health, University of New South Wales
- Dr Sonia Davison, Women’s Health Research Program, Monash University
- Dr Jane Elliott, General Practitioner
This study is being funded by Healthed Pty Ltd and the University of Sydney.
Dr Ramesh Manocha (a member of the research team) is both an employee of Healthed and an affiliate of the University of Sydney. He receives no financial remuneration for his contribution to the research, and has no other personal or professional conflicts. Dr Manocha will not partake in the collection, analysis or reporting of the study results.
Who can take part in the study?
General Practitioners currently registered with the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and are required to undertake CPD activities. You have been invited to participate because you have enrolled in a CPD education module with Healthed Pty Ltd.
What will the study involve for me?
Having completed the compulsory assessment questions for the Healthed CPD module:
- You will be asked to answer a number of questions (between 1 and 6)
- The time involved will be no more than five minutes in total
- The questions will require categorical answers (eg. Yes/no), or be asked in a Likert scale style (ordinal ranking by selecting an option)
- The questions will ask your opinions and attitudes about current topics that significantly affect GP practice, the GP profession, and patient care
- Consent to the deidentified demographic characteristics you provided to Healthed being given to the research team to use in analysing the responses. These will be aggregated in reports, eg. Ages will be grouped (25-34; 35-44; 45-54, etc).
- Consent to your deidentified survey data being used for future research including by students for their degrees.
- Consent to deidentified aggregated data being disseminated on the Healthed website, in peer-reviewed journal articles, or in conference presentations.
Can I withdraw once I’ve started?
Being in this study is completely voluntary and you do not have to take part. Your decision will not affect your current or future relationships with the researchers, or anyone else at The University of Sydney or Healthed Pty Ltd.
If you decide to take part in the study and then change your mind, you can withdraw by deleting your answers before submitting them. Once submitted, your data cannot be withdrawn, but no identifying information will be given to the researchers who will analyse the data. No information that could potentially identify you will be published.
Are there any risks or costs?
Aside from giving up your time, we do not expect that there will be any risks or costs associated with taking part in this study.
Are there any benefits?
You will not receive any direct benefits from being in the study.
What will happen to information that is collected?
By providing your consent, you are agreeing to us collecting information about you for the purposes of this study.
Any information you provide us will be stored securely and will only be disclosed with your permission unless we are required by law to release information. We plan to publish the study findings to be published. You will not be individually identifiable in these publications.
Sharing research data is important for advancing knowledge and innovation. A deidentified set of the data collected in this study may be made available for use in future research.
Will I be told the results of the study?
You have a right to receive feedback about the overall results of this study. Deidentified aggregated results will be published on the Healthed website within two weeks of the study data being collected. This feedback will be in the form of a brief summary.
What if I would like further information?
When you have read this information, the following researcher/s will be available to discuss it with you further and answer any questions you may have:
- Dr Ramesh Manocha, Medical Educator, HealthEd Pty Ltd
R.Manocha@healthed.com.au - Dr Christopher Harrison, Senior Research Fellow, University of Sydney
+61 4 3463 2800 | Christopher.Harrsion@sydney.edu.au
What if I have a complaint or any concerns?
The ethical aspects of this study have been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) of The University of Sydney [2024/HE000524] according to the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007).
If you are concerned about the way this study is being conducted or you wish to make a complaint to someone independent from the study, please contact the University:
Human Ethics Manager
human.ethics@sydney.edu.au
+61 2 8627 8176
HREC Approval No.: [2024/HE000524]
[Version Menop No.1 28/2/2025]
