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Towards quality improvement at scale in the New Zealand primary care setting: Findings from consumer and health service engagement contains findings and recommendations for the Commission to consider in the next phase of its primary care work.
The Commission’s primary care quality improvement programme commenced in 2017, with the first intake of small-scale sector-led projects through our initiative Whakakotahi (te reo Māori for ‘to be as one’).
More information about Whakakotahi can be found using the left-hand menu.
Our theory of change, that has guided our first three-year phase can be found here.
To enhance collaboration and integration within the Commission, and to achieve more effective engagement across the sector (with a focus on innovation, improvement, intelligence and integration) a new integrated advisory group for primary and community care was established in 2019.
The group provides strategic advice and leadership to support the Commission’s primary care programme, Atlas of Healthcare Variation and other activities involving primary care.
Since 2015 the Commission has supported the Primary Health Organisation (PHO) quality improvement network, to improve communication between PHO quality improvement leads, share knowledge and provide learning, professional development and networking opportunities.
The primary care team also works with many other Commission teams and workstreams.
The initiatives below are examples of primary care sector-led quality improvement initiatives.
Safety in Practice (SiP) programme
SiP began in Auckland in 2014, led by Ko Awatea and Counties Manukau Health. The programme developed a consistent approach to enhancing quality improvement capability in general practice and community pharmacy, by focusing on patient safety. SiP is now led by Auckland and Waitemata DHBs. SiP developed many helpful and freely available resources (available on the SiP website). These may be of interest to health professionals wishing to identify quality improvement opportunities and plan and run quality improvement projects of their own.
Read more about the SiP programme.
Planned Proactive Care programme
Counties Manukau Health now carries out its quality improvement work in primary care through the Planned Proactive Care programme.
Many other organisations and individuals carry out quality improvement work in primary care. The primary care programme team would love to hear from you, learn about your quality improvement work, and discuss how we may be able to work together. If you would like to be involved, contact us at primarycare@hqsc.govt.nz.
In 2014, the Health Quality & Safety Commission hosted a workshop with primary care opinion leaders to identify important quality and safety issues, and how the Commission could partner with the sector to help make a difference. This led to the formation of a primary care expert advisory group (EAG) in 2015. In response to the EAG’s advice, the Commission agreed to a stronger focus on primary care and community services, aged residential care and disability services.
Having provided strong leadership to our programme of work, the group came to a natural review point in early 2019. At this point the programme was considering its next phase of development. A significant achievement of the group has been the completion sector engagement and feedback to inform what it would take to achieve quality improvement at scale in primary care in New Zealand.
Download a copy of the programme driver diagram (266KB, pdf)
Whakakotahi primary care quality improvement programme
Towards quality improvement at scale in the New Zealand primary care setting: Findings from consumer and health service engagement contains findings and recommendations for the Commission to consider in the next phase of its primary care work.
Programme status
The Commission’s primary care quality improvement programme commenced in 2017, with the first intake of small-scale sector-led projects through our initiative Whakakotahi (te reo Māori for ‘to be as one’).
More information about Whakakotahi can be found using the left-hand menu.
Theory of change
Our theory of change, that has guided our first three-year phase can be found here.
Collaboration
To enhance collaboration and integration within the Commission, and to achieve more effective engagement across the sector (with a focus on innovation, improvement, intelligence and integration) a new integrated advisory group for primary and community care was established in 2019.
The group provides strategic advice and leadership to support the Commission’s primary care programme, Atlas of Healthcare Variation and other activities involving primary care.
Read more about the integrated advisory group ).
Networking
Since 2015 the Commission has supported the Primary Health Organisation (PHO) quality improvement network, to improve communication between PHO quality improvement leads, share knowledge and provide learning, professional development and networking opportunities.
The primary care team also works with many other Commission teams and workstreams.
Primary care sector-led quality improvement initiatives
The initiatives below are examples of primary care sector-led quality improvement initiatives.
Safety in Practice (SiP) programme
SiP began in Auckland in 2014, led by Ko Awatea and Counties Manukau Health. The programme developed a consistent approach to enhancing quality improvement capability in general practice and community pharmacy, by focusing on patient safety. SiP is now led by Auckland and Waitemata DHBs. SiP developed many helpful and freely available resources (available on the SiP website). These may be of interest to health professionals wishing to identify quality improvement opportunities and plan and run quality improvement projects of their own.
Read more about the SiP programme.
Planned Proactive Care programme
Counties Manukau Health now carries out its quality improvement work in primary care through the Planned Proactive Care programme.
Many other organisations and individuals carry out quality improvement work in primary care. The primary care programme team would love to hear from you, learn about your quality improvement work, and discuss how we may be able to work together. If you would like to be involved, contact us at primarycare@hqsc.govt.nz.
Read more about the Planned Proactive Care programme.
Background
In 2014, the Health Quality & Safety Commission hosted a workshop with primary care opinion leaders to identify important quality and safety issues, and how the Commission could partner with the sector to help make a difference. This led to the formation of a primary care expert advisory group (EAG) in 2015. In response to the EAG’s advice, the Commission agreed to a stronger focus on primary care and community services, aged residential care and disability services.
Having provided strong leadership to our programme of work, the group came to a natural review point in early 2019. At this point the programme was considering its next phase of development. A significant achievement of the group has been the completion sector engagement and feedback to inform what it would take to achieve quality improvement at scale in primary care in New Zealand.
Download a copy of the programme driver diagram (266KB, pdf)
Published: 21 Oct 2021
Modified: 16 Dec 2021
