OCEAN study set to provide fresh insights into primary care teams
19 Nov 2025
The Occasions of Care Explained and ANalysed (OCEAN) study will collect data from general practices, Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS), and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS). It seeks to provide a clear picture of workforce composition, clinical activities, and the skills of team members in modern primary care.
The first stage of the project involves capturing details about participating practices. Following this, surveys will be conducted with general practice nurses, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists, and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners. These surveys will explore their training, experience, and use of full scope of practice, as well as identify opportunities for better supporting their roles.
The study will examine:
-
The types of staff employed by practices, AMSs, and ACCHSs
-
The patient populations they serve
-
The health issues being managed
-
How these issues are being addressed
OCEAN draws on the framework of the BEACH study, which ran from 1998 to 2016 and provided widely respected data on general practice activity in Australia.
Professor Sue Randall, Chief Investigator for the nursing component of OCEAN, said the primary care environment has evolved considerably since BEACH ended.
“Our goal is to produce accurate and reliable data that reflects today’s multidisciplinary primary care teams,” she said.
Professor Dimity Pond, Chair of the RACGP Expert Committee – Research, described the study as a key step in understanding team-based care.
“Primary care is increasingly delivered by multidisciplinary teams, and this research will help us understand how these teams are functioning and contributing to patient care,” she said.
Professor Pond highlighted the importance of identifying how allied health and nursing roles can work independently and collaboratively with GPs to improve outcomes.
The study is also expected to inform government policy and programs. Dr Julie Gordon, Chief Investigator of OCEAN, said the BEACH study previously provided essential data for advocacy, and she hopes OCEAN will serve a similar purpose in today’s healthcare environment.
The project is led by the University of Sydney in partnership with the University of Wollongong and the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners. Practices across Australia are being invited to participate, and the study is scheduled to continue until 30 June 2027.
Source: newsGP
