Welcome to the online QI Tool Kit, which is designed to help general practice teams undertake QI activities by providing a range of useful information, resources, tools and templates. If you would like further support or guidance from a Practice QI Coach, email Practice Assist or call 1800 2 ASSIST (1800 2 277 478).
Quality improvement (QI) is nothing new, practices are doing it every day, probably without realising it. The key is to document QI activities so systems and processes can be reviewed to ensure continuing improvement in service delivery and patient outcomes. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) defines continuous quality improvement as an ongoing activity undertaken within a general practice with the primary purpose to monitor, evaluate or improve the quality of health care delivered to practice patients. Put simply, QI is a process of regularly reviewing and refining your practice’s systems, structures and clinical care to improve patient outcomes and practice efficiency, underpinned by the Quintuple Aim for Health Care Improvement.
According to the RACGP Standards for general practices (5th edition), QI activities are important because making quality improvements to structures, systems and clinical care that are based on a practice’s information and data can lead to improvements in patient outcomes. When QI activities are undertaken using a whole-of-team approach, the results can deliver positive change across one or more of the categories below:
Whether your general practice is accredited or non-accredited, undertaking QI activities can deliver better outcomes for both the practice and patients by improving quality, safety, efficiency, productivity and sustainability. QI activities also provide opportunities for your practice team to come together to share information and consider how the practice can improve. To achieve the best results, your team members should feel empowered to contribute towards the ongoing collaborative effort to improve patient safety and care. By scheduling protected time to plan, implement, review and document QI activities that align with the Quintuple Aim for Health Care Improvement, your practice team can provide ongoing benefits in the following areas:
For further information about nominating a QI Team Lead, refer to the How to build your QI Team resource.
Primary Sense WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) provides general practices with Primary Sense, a population health management, clinical decision support and data extraction tool that helps general practice deliver the right care to patients at the right time. For further information, refer to the Primary Sense Tool Kit and FAQs.
For further information about undertaking QI activities, contact Practice Assist and one of our Practice QI Coaches will be in touch as soon as possible. This QI Tool Kit has been adapted from information developed by the RACGP, Wentworth Healthcare, AGPAL Quality News and the Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast PHN.