Indicators for continuous quality improvement for otitis media in primary health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
Beverly Sibthorpe A , Jason Agostino B G , Harvey Coates C , Sharon Weeks D , Deborah Lehmann D , Marianne Wood E , Francis Lannigan C and Daniel McAullay FA 14 The Mainsail, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444, Australia.
B Academic Unit of General Practice, Australian National University, PO Box 11, Woden, ACT 2606, Australia.
C School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, GPO Box D184, Perth, WA 6840, Australia.
D Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, WA 6872, Australia.
E Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia, 450 Beaufort Street, Highgate, WA 6003, Australia.
F Edith Cowan University, 2 Bradfield Street, Mount Lawley, WA 6050, Australia.
G Corresponding author. Email: jason.agostino@anu.edu.au
Australian Journal of Primary Health 23(1) 1-9 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY16096
Submitted: 8 August 2016 Accepted: 24 November 2016 Published: 16 January 2017
Journal Compilation © La Trobe University 2017 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND
Abstract
Otitis media is a common, generally self-limiting childhood illness that can progress to severe disease and have lifelong sequelae, including hearing loss and developmental delays. Severe disease is disproportionately prevalent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Primary health care is at the frontline of appropriate prevention and treatment. Continuous quality improvement in the prevention and management of important causes of morbidity in client populations is accepted best practice in primary health care and now a requirement of Australian Government funding to services providing care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. To date, there have been no indicators for continuous quality improvement in the prevention and management of otitis media and its sequelae in primary health care. Through an expert group consensus process, seven evidence-based indicators, potentially extractable from electronic health records, have been developed. The development process and indicators are described.
Additional keywords: Indigenous health.
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