Prof. Anne Duggan1, Ms Gillian Giles
1Australian Commission On Safety And Quality In Health Care, Sydney, Australia
For decades Australia has had a strong focus on safe and high-quality health care. The National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards provide a framework to ensure systems are in place to meet minimum requirements for safety and quality. But how do we know that the care provided is appropriate?
The Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation series demonstrates that health care is far from equitable for diverse populations – some people are missing out on the care they need or are not receiving appropriate care. The Clinical Governance Standard in the NSQHS Standards creates an organisational imperative to improve the appropriateness of care. Action 1.28 requires health service organisations to review performance in comparison to other health service organisations and to evidence-based guidelines. By collecting and reviewing data on clinical care processes and outcomes, health services can identify unwarranted variation, and improve the appropriateness of care and outcomes for patients.
Organisational leadership of clinical variation means that there are checks and balances to ensure that patients are receiving the right care, and the right amount of care according to their needs and preferences, at the right time. As health service organisations become more sophisticated in establishing systems and processes to examine clinical variation, improvements in evidence-based care and appropriateness of care will follow.
A case study will be presented demonstrating how the Atlas findings have been used to prompt local investigation, inform health policy and system redesign, and support clinicians to deliver appropriate care.
Biography:
Professor Duggan is a highly respected gastroenterologist with significant leadership experience in a range of healthcare settings.
Professor Duggan is passionate about improving healthcare services through sharing knowledge and collaborating across the system. She leads the development of the Commission’s Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation series.
Professor Duggan has a significant role in identifying potential synergies, partnerships and opportunities across the Australian health sector, and providing leadership and education around the latest evidence on safety and quality in health care.
As of September 2021 Anne is Chair of the new Australian Government Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Review Advisory Committee (MRAC).