Policy Implementation: Monitoring Progress Towards Best Practice in Primary Health Care

Abstract

Rigorous assessment of strategic policy implementation is difficult and as a result, is relatively rare in Australia. This paper examines the value of, and issues associated with, developing a set of core performance indicators to monitor primary health care policy implementation as part of the quest for best practice. A model to facilitate the use of monitoring information as part of quality improvement practices, including benchmarking towards best practice, is introduced. Because of its practical implications for both formulating and monitoring the implementation of strategic health policy, this paper is believed to be a significant step in the study of policy development. What is sometimes regarded as the final phase in policy development and implementation¾the evaluation of policy¾should, if best practice is to be achieved, occur as part of policy development itself and be informed integrally by monitoring mechanisms. In this way, assessment of the process, impact and outcomes of a policy can be fed directly and systematically back into the policy development process. The paper concludes with recommendations for future work in this area to support the achievement of best practice in primary health care.