Collaboratives Program
Contact
Allison Yates
Program Manager
Email Allison Yates
Tel. 8480 4608
Introduction and background
How it Works
Phase 1 of the Australian program: 2004 - 2007
Phase 2 of the Australian program: 2008 - 2011
Expression of Interest - ‘Local Wave’ to commence in June/July 2010
Introduction and background
The Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Program is a major initiative encouraging and supporting general practices to deliver sustainable improvements in the care they provide to patients through the application of quality improvement methods and skills.
The Program builds on work done in the United Kingdom, where over a six thousand practices servicing 32 million patients have taken part in what has constituted the largest single health improvement program in the world since its introduction in 2000. Results from these practices have been impressive, for example, a 40% reduction in cardiovascular death rates among the participating practices.
How it Works
The Collaboratives approach is user-friendly and simple to apply.
Two people from each participating practice attend an orientation session and a series of three learning workshops held across 9 months. At these workshops practices exchange ideas, share experiences, and learn about practical quality improvement skills including the successful ‘Improvement Model’.
Between the learning workshops and back at the practice, the team tests the ideas they generated from the workshops, using the Improvement Model and accompanying Plan-Do-Act-Study cycles, to deliver measurable, systematic, and sustainable improvements in practice performance and the care provided to patients.
The PDSA cycles are accompanied by monthly data collection and reporting to enable practices to track their progress towards improvement.
Practices are supported principally through their Division. The Program also provides support via a Collaboratives handbook and workbook, the APCC Program website, online reporting system (ORS), monthly data feedback, and networking opportunities with fellow collaborators at workshops.
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Phase 1 of the Australian program: 2004 - 2007
Thirty one local practices supported by Northern Division were among over 600 practices from 43 Divisions nationwide which participated in Phase 1.
With topic areas of diabetes, coronary heart disease and access and care redesign, practices achieved excellent patient outcomes:
Coronary Heart Disease:
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28% increase in CHD patients on aspirin medication
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26% increase in CHD patients on a statin
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52% increase in patients who have had an MI in the previous 12 months on beta blockers
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45% increase in CHD patients whose last recorded blood pressure in the previous 12 months was below 140/90 mmHg
Diabetes:
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97% increase in patients with HbA1c levels less than or equal to 7%
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132% increase in patients with cholesterol levels less than 4 mmol/L
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101% increase in patients with blood pressure less than or equal to 130/80 mmHg
Access:
As well as these improved patient outcomes, Phase 1 practices have also reported:
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a shift from reactive individual patient care to proactive population based care
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changes in service delivery to improve practice efficiency, with some practices generating efficiency savings of $100,000 a year
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increased use of protocols and procedures to improve practice operations
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enhanced clinical reporting and functionality (i.e. data cleaning to produce valid registers and reports)
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improved working environments, with happier staff and GPs.
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Phase 2 of the Australian program: 2008 - 2011
Diabetes, Heart Disease and Access & Care Redesign topic:
The APCC Program now aims to involve an additional 600+ practices nationally. It was featured in a recent Australian Doctor edition.
Two representatives from four local practices have participated in the first Victorian/Tasmanian ‘wave’. They joined 200 other participants from general practice, representatives from Divisions and other related fields at three 2-day learning workshops between November 2008 and May 2009, where exemplar GPs, practice nurses and practice managers presented their personal and professional experiences in promoting positive outcomes in primary health care.
Expressions of Interest (download flyer) are now being sought from practices who would like to participate in a ‘Local Wave’, to commence in June/July 2010. Participating practices will be supported to improve either their Diabetes or Coronary Heart Disease management systems and to build practice capacity and efficiency, using a simple quality improvement approach.
Practices can expect to:
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improve the health of their patients.
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build a stronger practice team.
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improve practice efficiency and performance.
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enhance quality improvement skills of practice staff.
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enhance practice clinical reporting and functionality.
Practices will receive incentive payments, and GPs will be eligible for up to 120 Category 1 CPD points.
For more information, contact Allison Yates on Tel. 8480 4608 or email Allison Yates. Alternatively check the APCC website: www.apcc.org.au
COPD and Chronic Disease Prevention and Self Management topic
Following their successful involvement in the Diabetes, Coronary Heart Disease and Access & Care Redesign Collaboratives ‘waves’, four practices supported by Northern Division in collaboration with 86 other practices from around Australia are currently participating in a COPD and Chronic Disease Prevention and Self Management ‘wave’, with Brisbane-based Learning Workshops scheduled for October 2009, February and May 2010.
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