Quality

Issues around best practice and the quality and safety of health services have become a major concern in recent years for providers and consumers, not only in Australia and New Zealand but across developed healthcare systems. There is an increasing body of literature about strategies, models and approaches to assist clinicians in improving clinical practice, and increasing pressure to implement them.

The College has an important role in fostering an environment that rewards the practice of evidence-based health care. One way we can do this is by providing Fellows and Trainees with the practical tools of quality improvement while traversing the appropriate educational framework.

The Quality Expert Advisory Group (EAG) is the College's peak quality and safety group, They are responsible for strengthening the capacity of the RACP to contribute to the development and implementation of quality and safety improvement measures, and to provide leadership within the College to support trainees and Fellows in applying quality principles to improve health outcomes.
To contact the Quality EAG please email: quality@racp.edu.au

Key policy areas for the Quality EAG include:-

• Clinical Performance: Credentialing and scope of practice, re-certification, maintenance of professional standards, performance framework, clinical indicators for medical subspecialties, accreditation, legal and regulatory issues in clinical performance monitoring
• Trainees in Quality and Safety: Encouraging and creating opportunities for the next generation of physicians. More information (PDF 88KB).
• Models of Care: Strengthening the role of consultant physicians to improve systems of care for better patient outcomes and experience 
• Adverse Events: role of physicians in reducing adverse events, open disclosure, use of clinical registries, clinical relevance of administrative data in assessing and improving quality of care.

Past projects of the Quality EAG (formerly known as the Better Practice Coordinating Commitee) can be accessed here.

Submissions

The College has made the following submissions on quality and safety issues:

• Australian Infection Control Guidelines: preventing and managing infection in healthcare - National Health and Medical Research Council - Mar 10 (PDF 88KB) 
• Review by Peers in Professional and Administrative Processes  - Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care - Feb 10 (PDF 197KB)
• Draft National Safety and Quality Healthcare Standards - Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care - Feb 10 (PDF 94KB)
• Recognising and Responding to Clinical Deterioration: Draft Consensus Statement - Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care - Sep 09 (PDF 71KB)
• Healthcare Identifiers and Privacy Legislation - Australian Health Ministers Conference - Aug 09 (PDF 99KB)
• Proposed Practice Visits and Continuing Professional Development: Part 2 - New Zealand Medical Council - June 09 (PDF 332KB)
• Credentialling Framework for New Zealand Health & Disability Service Providers - April 09 (PDF 358KB) 
• Proposed Practice Visits and Continuing Professional Development: Part 1 - New Zealand Medical Council - March 09 (PDF 39KB)
• Inquiry into Public Hospital Performance Data - Victorian Parliament - Feb 09 (PDF 27KB)
• Towards National Indicators of Safety and Quality in Healthcare - ACQSHC

New Zealand Submissions

The College in New Zealand has made the following submissions on quality and safety issues:

• What To Do When You Have Concerns About a Colleague 
• Review of the Quality and Safety Programme for Maternity Services