Australian Primary Care Collaboratives
Program
The Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Program is a 3-year, $15 million initiative funded from the Focus on Prevention - Primary Care Providers Working initiative announced in the 2003 – 2004 Australian Government Budget. The Program is of international significance and is being supported by the National Primary Care Development Team (NPDT) in England.
The Collaboratives Program will help general practitioners (GPs) and primary health care providers work together to improve patient clinical outcomes, reduce lifestyle risk factors, help maintain good health for those with chronic and complex conditions and promote a culture of quality improvement in primary health care. Ultimately, the Collaboratives aims to find better ways to provide primary health care services to patients through shared learning, peer support, training, education and support systems.
What is a Collaborative?
The approach involves developing a set of change principles, change ideas and actions which secure the greatest gain in a particular area of care if they were replicated across all those responsible for the delivery of that care, and presenting these ideas in conjunction with change management methods to the participating sites.
Based on Nolan’s Model of Improvement, a Collaborative uses rapid cycles of testing and measuring the effects of small change ideas to drive and build sustainable improvements.
It is a quality improvement method in which Participants are able to apply changes that have been demonstrated to lead to improvements in other settings, and that are measurable, to generate improvements in their own context.
How does a Collaborative work?
A Collaborative consists of a series of learning workshops, informal meetings and communications interspersed with activity periods during which measures common to the participating sites are used to track progress.
A handbook that incorporates teaching of the mapping process, implementation method and the latest guidelines or existing knowledge on best practice are developed for each area of focus.
Coordinators are generally provided at local and regional levels to motivate and support Participants, to monitor barriers and achievements, coordinate reporting and communicate progress to ensure improvements are maximised.
Participants share practical change management ideas in both clinical and operational areas that assist in achieving quality improvements.
A culture of continuous quality improvement is promoted through effective demonstration of small, rapid cycles of change.
Aims
The following aims have been produced by Expert Reference Panels, consisting of experts and stakeholders in the three topic areas.
The aim for Coronary Heart Disease:
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An estimated reduction in the mortality of Patients with coronary heart disease by 30% in three years and 50% in five years in participating Practices.
The aim for Diabetes:
- To ensure that a minimum of 80% of all Patients with Diabetes (both Type 1 and Type 2) within participating Practices have their HbA1c measured with 50% of these having an HbA1c of 7.0 or less.
The aim for Better Access:
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To ensure that 90% of Patients can access their primary healthcare professional routinely the next working day.
Measures
Coronary Heart Disease
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The number of Patients on the CHD Register
- % of Patients with CHD on aspirin (unless a contraindication or side-effects are recorded)
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% of Patients with CHD who are on a statin (unless a contraindication or side-effects are recorded)
- % of Patients with CHD with a BP < 140/90
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% of Patients who have had a myocardial infarction in past 12 months on beta-blockers (unless a contraindication or side-effects are recorded)
- Annual Measure
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% of Patients with CHD who have died from CHD in 12 months
Diabetes
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The number of Patients on the Diabetes register.
- % of Patients with diabetes in whom the last HbA1c is 7.0 or less in last 12 months
- % of Patients with diabetes whose last measured total cholesterol within previous 12 months is 4 or less
- % of Patients with diabetes in whom the last blood pressure is 130/80 or less in the last 12 months
- % of Patients with Diabetes that have had Diabetes Service Incentive Payments claimed for them in the last 12 months
Better Access
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% of Patients seen by the practice on the day of their choice
- GP 3rd Available appointment
- Practice nurse 3rd available appointment (where there is not a practice nurse or the practice nurse does not have appointments this measure is not required)
Essentially
It is about Practice 'Culture' via continuous improvement (Model - PDSA Methodology) for chronic disease management
For more information
Please Contact:
Elisabeth Dunn
Quality Improvement Coordinator
Email: elisabeth.dunn@mgpn.com.au
Phone: (03) 9347 1188