A Northern NSW Integrated Care Collaborative (ICC) was undertaken to encourage and support participating health services to deliver rapid, measurable, systematic and sustainable improvements in the care they collectively provided to patients in Northern NSW.
The Improvement Foundation was contracted by the Local Health District (LHD) to support the ICC by providing specialist advice, access to existing collaborative methodology infrastructure, and ongoing support for the duration of the Collaborative program.
The support and adoption of integrated care in the region is thanks to the Executive Team leadership to support staff to trial the program and make changes at a local level, and strong partnerships between Northern NSW LHD, North Coast PHN, United in Aboriginal Health and NSW Ambulance.
Read about the objectives, successes and lessons learned in the ICC Final Report.
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The Better Outcomes for People with Chronic and Complex Health Conditions report from the Primary Health Care Advisory Group presented to Department of Health identifies a model of care supported by a new way of funding that can transform the way we provide primary health care for Australians with chronic and complex conditions. Additionally it also found that the Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Program (APCC) was ‘beneficial to patients with chronic and complex condition’. Read the full report here.
The Nation’s Primary Health Care System has shown significant improvements being involved in the Australian Primary Care Collaborative (APCC) Program* yet despite its demonstrable success, it has not been systematically embedded and sustained either nationally or in local health systems.
A recent report by the Grattan Institute showed the significant results that the Collaborative methodology has achieved through the APCC Program. Traditionally, this Program has been delivered by the Improvement Foundation with rigour including face to face learning workshops but now the resources have been transformed into an online resource.
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Alstonville Clinic, a busy medical practice, had only a few managers trained in quality improvement, but when they observed the benefits it provided to the practice and patients, they resolved to implement it into the everyday working habits of all staff.
Finding the time to dedicate to the implementation of quality improvement, especially using an online data driven approach and with information technology not always readily available, remained a challenge.
Having already achieved outstanding results in improving patient outcomes through embedding continuous quality improvement, Langpark Medical Centre in Melbourne knew to maintain retention of high quality staff it was time to focus on improving staff morale and internal communication.
With a multi-disciplinary team consisting of nine GP’s, five practice nurses and administrative staff, the team engaged the services of the Improvement Foundation’s personalised quality improvement coaching service, qiCoach, designed to accelerate growth and improve business and patient outcomes. The qiCoach conducted a diagnostic assessment of their organisational efficiency, clinical activity and financial performance. Zeroing in on improving staff morale and retention, the practice team and the qiCoach worked to improve staff performance reviews. Varied methods had been trialled ranging from documented performance appraisal templates, balanced score cards to no reviews, however each method came with data inconsistencies and shortcomings. (more…)
With a culture of continuous quality improvement embedded into their practice, Woodcroft Medical Centre in South Australia decided to further develop optimum ways to deliver best practice to their patients.
To gain insights on how to do this and to use data driven quality improvement processes, the team engaged the services of the Improvement Foundation’s personalised quality improvement coaching service, qiCoach. A highly structured program, qiCoach services are designed to accelerate growth and improve business and patient outcomes. The qiCoach conducted a diagnostic assessment of the practices organisational efficiency, clinical activity and financial performance. Using data extraction software and the Improvement Foundation’s secure data web portal, practice staff viewed their data in new ways, easily identifying the practice’s strengths and weaknesses. With the diagnostic assessment complete, the qiCoach worked with staff to develop a quality improvement plan focussed on developing best practice in the following areas:
(more…)
A Quality Collaboration with Adelaide PHN & Learn the Secrets of Success. Find out more
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Published in Primary Times, Volume 15, Issue 1 2015 by Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association.
For the first time the Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Program (APCC) is delivering three new specialised waves that focus on greater engagement of general practice nurses to lead quality improvement work in a new nurse led quality improvement program, the Practice Nurse Lead Program. Read more…
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