Developing indicators and measures of high-quality for Australian general practice
Christine Metusela A G * , Natalie Cochrane A , Hannah van Werven A H I , Tim Usherwood B , Shahana Ferdousi C , Ray Messom C , Diana O’Halloran A C , Michael Fasher A C , Andrew Page D , Steven Trankle
A , Penelope Abbott A , W. Kathy Tannous D , Kath Peters D E , Kirsten Meisinger F and Jennifer Reath A
A Department of General Practice, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Narellan Road and Gilchrist Drive, Campbelltown, NSW 2560, Australia.
B Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Anderson Stuart Building, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia.
C Western Sydney Primary Health Network, Blacktown, 85 Flushcombe Road, Blacktown, NSW 2148, Australia.
D Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Narellan Road and Gilchrist Drive, Campbelltown, NSW 2560, Australia.
E School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Narellan Road and Gilchrist Drive, Campbelltown, NSW 2560, Australia.
F Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Center for Primary Care, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
G Present address: School of Medicine, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
H Present address: Locum GP at Huisartsenpraktijk De Es, H. Leefsmastraat 4, 7556 JG Hengelo, The Netherlands.
I Present address: Huisartsenpraktijk Voss, Jacob Roggeveenstraat 51, 7534 CD Enschede, The Netherlands.
Australian Journal of Primary Health 28(3) 215-223 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY21164
Submitted: 12 July 2021 Accepted: 8 December 2021 Published: 22 April 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of La Trobe University. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
Background: Rising health costs and health inequity are major challenges in Australia, as internationally. Strong primary health care is well evidenced to address these challenges. Primary Health Networks (PHNs) work with general practices to collect data and support quality improvement; however, there is no consensus regarding what defines high quality. This paper describes the development of an evidence-based suite of indicators and measures of high-quality general practice for the Australian context.
Methods: We reviewed the literature to develop a suitable framework and revise quality assurance measures currently in use, then reviewed these in three workshops with general practitioners, practice managers, nurses, consumers and PHN staff in western Sydney. We used a descriptive qualitative research approach to analyse the data.
Results: A total of 125 evidence-based indicators were agreed to be relevant, and 80 were deemed both relevant and feasible. These were arranged across a framework based on the Quadruple Aim, and include structure, process and outcome measures.
Conclusions: The agreed suite of indicators and measures will be further validated in collaboration with PHNs across Australia. This work has the potential to inform health systems innovation both nationally and internationally.
Keywords: general practice, high-quality care, indicators, measures, patient‐centred medical home, primary care, primary health care, quality improvement.
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