The Menzies Governing Board has recently approved the proposal to establish the Centre for Quality Improvement as a means to provide ongoing support for services to engage in CQI. The approval includes the commitment of funds to set up the centre and agreement to negotiate contracts to provide support.
The new centre has been named One21Seventy. The name reflects the Centre’s aspiration to contribute to increased life expectancy for Indigenous people beyond 1 in infancy, beyond 21 in youth, and beyond 70 for the lifespan.
One21Seventy will continue to build on the experiences and tools of the ABCDE Project and other evidence based approaches to quality improvement.
It is anticipated there will be 4 training courses offered through the Centre
- The Foundation Course
- Orientation for Medical Officers
- Orientation for Managers
- A Refresher Course for local facilitators and regional coordinators.
Underpinning the training courses will be a range of resources developed to ensure that people who are new to 1~21~70 and the ABCD tools and processes will understand the quality improvement cycle in detail and be able to impart the knowledge to others.
We are seeking to sign contracts for delivery of services by the Centre during 2009. Ongoing viability of the Centre is dependent on obtaining contracts with governments and over time expanding the number of services supported by the Centre.
If you wish to know more about the new Centre please contact us.
ABCD is an action-research project designed to support health services to develop continuous improvement approaches to strengthen primary health care. ABCD began in a range of government and non-government health centres across the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia in 2002. The project is designed to implement an evidence based approach to assessing and improving health centre systems, service delivery and health outcomes. Project staff work with local health centre teams, drawing on their local knowledge, experience, and commitment to identify goals and strategies for improvement.
The initial project focussed on prevention and management of chronic disease and resulted in significant improvements in service delivery and health outcomes in these areas. In 2005 the ABCD project was extended (hence ABCDE) and by early 2009 had formal participation agreements with 62 Indigenous primary care services across five regional hubs. With over 50 other primary care services also using the project tools and processes without being formally enrolled in the research project, we have contributed to service development in all States and Territories.
Hubs are situated in Central Australia, Western Australia, Far West NSW, Far North Queensland and the Top End of the NT.
The tools developed include:
- Preventive Services
- Vascular and Metabolic syndrome management
- Systems Assessment
- Maternal Health
- Child Health
- Acute Rheumatic Fever/Rheumatic Heart Disease
Under development are tools to measure Mental Health and Health Promotion.
The ABCDE Project is due for completion and final reporting in December 2009.
Our priority is to assist health services to complete their current CQI cycles. All data collected before the end of July will be included in analysis and the final project report.
Health services will be able to continue using the website and project resources until the completion of the project in December 2009.
Arrangements for ongoing support for quality improvement beyond 2009 will be established during late 2009 through the Centre for Quality Improvement.
The Healthy for Life Program is an Australian government funded program which aims to enhance the capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care services to improve the quality of child and maternal health services and chronic disease care, and to improve the capacity of the Indigenous health workforce.
ABCDE is an action research project which can provide services with: 1) a clear framework and standardised and tested tools to meet the requirements of the H4L program; 2) access to a team of experienced facilitators; and 3) access to a support structure and a wide network of other services involved in similar initiatives. The ABCDE project has made a significant contribution to the development of the Healthy for Life Program through developing quality improvement approaches and tools suitable for use in Indigenous primary care settings, in providing training on the use of the ABCDE tools and in providing facilitation services to many organisations funded through the Healthy for Life Program.
For more information on 1~21~70:
Project Leader - Ross Bailie
ross.bailie@menzies.edu.au
Phone: 0417 818 309
For more information on ABCDE:
Project Manager - Jenny Hains
jenny.hains@menzies.edu.au
Phone: 0419 738 255
For queries, questions and/or feedback on the ABCD website and audit tools:
abcd@menzies.edu.au
or
Audit and Information Systems Officer, Kat Lonergan
katrina.lonergan@menzies.edu.au
Phone: 02 6556 9291