QUEST-PHC: Developing and testing a tool to measure quality in Australian general practice

Start Date

11 January 2021

End Date

31 March 2023

Project Participants

Brisbane North PHN, Central & Eastern Sydney PHN, Nepean Blue Mountains PHN, North WesternMelbourne PHN, South WesternSydney PHN, WentWest (Western Sydney PHN), Western Australia Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA), Western NSW PHN, Western Sydney University

Status: Completed

Tags: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, consumer engagement, consumer reported outcomes, general practice, justice health, patient reported measures (PRMs), primary health care, primary health networks (PHNs), quality improvement, quality indicators, value-based care

Opportunity 

High-quality primary healthcare is fundamental to improving health outcomes, yet Australia lacks a nationally agreed, evidence-based and practical mechanism for measuring quality in general practice and broader primary healthcare settings. Existing quality frameworks often focus on activity and process measures rather than outcomes that matter to clinicians, consumers and health system stakeholders.  

The project sought to address this gap by developing a framework for defining, evaluating and improving quality primary care in Australian general practice. 

Project Objectives  

The Quality, Equity and Systems Transformation in Primary Health Care Project (QUEST PHC) project aimed to develop and validate a comprehensive quality measurement framework for Australian general practice. 

The research team reviewed evidence-based indicators to identify meaningful quality indicators to define what constitutes high-quality general practice care, as well as patient-reported measures (PRMs) most suitable for use in Australian settings. These were socialised with experts, health service leaders, and consumers, to understand their applicability and potential implementation in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, justice health, and forensic mental health settings. 

The project developed a consensus-based, evidence-informed suite of quality indicators and measures for high-quality primary care in general practice, with adaptation considerations for justice health and Aboriginal health settings. This was supported by literature review, consumer engagement and national expert consultation. 

A key achievement was the development of the QUEST-PHC Tool to support future quality improvement activities across Australian primary healthcare. The project also produced an online PRM compendium, policy-relevant reports, and peer-reviewed research publications.  

Read QUEST PHC Final Report – Executive Summary 

For more information on the project, visit the Western Sydney University webpage for the Quality, Equity and Systems Transformation in Primary Health Care Project (QUEST PHC)

QUEST-PHC provides Australia with a robust foundation for measuring quality in general practice. The project helped improved understanding of appropriate patient-reported measures in Australian primary care and laid a foundation for strengthening quality improvement initiatives and supporting more patient-centred care. Its outputs have informed health policy development and created opportunities for future digital health-enabled quality monitoring across diverse healthcare environments. 

Integrity, Excellence,
Teamwork and Authenticity

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