Action 2.02 states
The health service organisation applies the quality improvement system from the Clinical Governance Standard when:
- Monitoring processes for partnering with consumers
- Implementing strategies to improve processes for partnering with consumers
- Reporting on partnering with consumers
Intent
Quality improvement systems are used to support processes for partnering with consumers at the level of the organisation.
Reflective questions
How are the processes for partnering with consumers continuously evaluated and improved?
How are these improvements reported to the governing body, the workforce and consumers?
Key tasks
- Review, measure, and assess the effectiveness and performance of, organisational and clinical strategies for partnering with consumers
- Implement quality improvement strategies for partnering with consumers based on the outcomes of monitoring activities
- Provide information on the outcomes of quality improvement activities to the governing body, the workforce, consumers and other organisations.
Strategies for improvement
Hospitals
The Clinical Governance Standard has specific actions relating to health service organisations’ quality improvement systems.
- Action 1.08 – quality improvement systems
- Action 1.09 – reporting
- Action 1.11 – incident management and investigation systems
Health service organisations should use these and other established safety and quality systems to support monitoring, reporting and implementation of quality improvement strategies for partnering with consumers.
Monitor effectiveness and performance
Use the organisation’s quality improvement systems to identify and set priorities for the organisational and clinical strategies for partnering with consumers.
Strategies to monitor the effectiveness of systems for partnering with consumers include:
- Developing or adopting meaningful performance indicators that are relevant to the organisation and can be used to measure improvements in consumer partnerships
- Conducting an internal evaluation of consumer partnerships across governance, strategic leadership, safety and quality, and performance management systems;1 use the Organisational Self-Assessment Survey for Consumer Engagement2 to assist with an internal evaluation
- Engaging independent evaluators or state- or territory-based consumer peak organisations to provide an external perspective on the organisation’s consumer partnership systems1
- Integrating consumer partnership into the overall goals of the organisation, so that it is assessed alongside other business goals, such as productivity1
- Conducting a gap analysis to identify areas that need improving by comparing current systems for partnering with consumers with an ideal future state3
- Routinely collecting data about the experience of consumers, including
- feedback and complaints through surveys or suggestion forms3, 4
- patient stories
- feedback from consumers who are currently using the service, through informal discussions, interviews, and the use of handheld devices or computers for capturing survey responses.4
Implement quality improvement strategies
Strategies to improve systems and performance for partnering with consumers may include:
- Problem-solving methods such as hosting a brainstorm involving consumers, the workforce and governance members to generate improvement ideas3
- Engaging managers to act as champions of consumer partnership
- Providing education to the workforce to reinforce the roles of consumers.4
Review the strategies for partnering with consumers presented in Action 2.11 to identify opportunities for improving systems of partnership.
Report outcomes
Strategies for reporting on the effectiveness and outcomes of partnering with consumers may include5:
- Developing formal progress and evaluation reports for members of the organisation’s leadership and governing body, the workforce, consumers and consumer organisations, and the wider community
- Using internal newsletters or memos to report on the effectiveness and outcomes of the organisation’s consumer partnership
- Using local community media to disseminate stories about the effectiveness and outcomes of the organisation’s consumer partnership to the wider community
- Publishing profiles or stories of consumers involved in consumer partnerships with the organisation, and the contributions they have made
- Hosting events to present the outcomes of systems for partnering with consumers, inviting members of the organisation’s leadership and governing body, the workforce, consumers and consumer organisations, and the wider community.
Day Procedure Services
The Clinical Governance Standard has specific actions relating to health service organisations’ quality improvement systems.
- Action 1.08 – quality improvement systems
- Action 1.09 – reporting
- Action 1.11 – incident management and investigation systems
Health service organisations should use these and other established safety and quality systems to support monitoring, reporting and implementation of quality improvement strategies for partnering with consumers.
Monitor effectiveness and performance
Use the organisation’s quality improvement systems to identify and set priorities for the organisational and clinical strategies for partnering with consumers.
Monitor effectiveness and performance
Use the organisation’s quality improvement systems to identify and set priorities for the organisational and clinical strategies for partnering with consumers.
Strategies to monitor the effectiveness of systems for partnering with consumers include:
- Developing or adopting meaningful performance indicators that are relevant to the day procedure setting and can be used to measure improvements in consumer partnerships
- Regularly collecting feedback from consumers through surveys, suggestion boxes, follow-up phone calls, and formal or informal consultation4
- Seeking feedback from consumer representatives about their experience of consumer partnerships
- Using the outcomes of evaluations or feedback processes to identify areas for improvement and implement solutions
- Using internal newsletters or memos to report on the effectiveness of consumer partnerships and any quality improvements the organisation has made
- Using local community media to disseminate stories about consumer partnerships to the wider community
- Publishing profiles or stories of consumers involved in consumer partnerships with the organisation, and the contributions they have made.
Examples of evidence
Select only examples currently in use:
- Organisation-wide quality improvement system that includes performance measures for partnering with consumers
- Audit of health service organisation performance against identified measures for partnering with consumers
- Results of consumer and carer experience surveys reviewed by the governing body or relevant committees
- Committee and meeting records in which feedback from consumers and the workforce on the health service organisation’s safety and quality systems is reported
- Review of the incident monitoring system to identify areas of concern in consumer partnerships
- Quality improvement plan that includes actions to deal with issues identified
- Consumer and carer information packages or resources about the health service organisation’s processes for partnering with consumers
- Examples of improvement activities that have been implemented and evaluated to maximise the engagement of patients and consumers
- Reports on safety and quality performance that are published in annual reports, newsletters, newspaper articles, radio items, websites or other local media
- Records of focus groups or meetings involving consumers in which the appropriateness and accessibility of safety and quality performance information were discussed
- Communication with the workforce and consumers on the effectiveness and outcomes of the health service organisation’s consumer partnerships
- Formal progress reports or evaluation reports provided to members of the health service organisation’s governance committees, leadership team and workforce; consumers; and the wider community
- Feedback from consumers, carers and the workforce on involvement of consumers in quality improvement systems.
MPS & Small Hospitals
The Clinical Governance Standard has specific actions relating to health service organisations’ quality improvement systems.
- Action 1.08 – quality improvement systems
- Action 1.09 – reporting
- Action 1.11 – incident management and investigation systems
Health service organisations should use these and other established safety and quality systems to support monitoring, reporting and implementation of quality improvement strategies for partnering with consumers.
Monitor effectiveness and performance
Use the organisation’s quality improvement systems to identify and set priorities for the organisational and clinical strategies for partnering with consumers.
Strategies to monitor the effectiveness of systems for partnering with consumers include:
- Developing or adopting meaningful performance indicators that are relevant to the organisation and can be used to measure improvements in consumer partnerships
- Integrating consumer partnership into the overall goals of the organisation, so that it is assessed alongside other business goals, such as productivity1
- Conducting a gap analysis to identify areas that need improving by comparing current systems for partnering with consumers with an ideal future state3
- Routinely collecting data about the experience of consumers, including
- feedback and complaints through surveys or suggestion forms3, 4
- patient stories
- feedback from consumers who are currently using the service, through informal discussions, interviews, and the use of handheld devices or computers for capturing survey responses.3
Implement quality improvement strategies
Strategies to improve systems and performance for partnering with consumers may include:
- Problem-solving methods such as hosting a brainstorm involving consumers, the workforce and governance members to generate improvement ideas3
- Engaging managers to act as champions of consumer partnership
- Providing education to the workforce to reinforce the roles of consumers.4
Review the strategies for partnering with consumers presented in Action 2.11 to identify opportunities for improving systems of partnership.
Report outcomes
Strategies for reporting on the effectiveness and outcomes of partnering with consumers may include5:
- Using internal newsletters or memos to report on the effectiveness and outcomes of the organisation’s consumer partnership
- Using local community media to disseminate stories about the effectiveness and outcomes of the organisation’s consumer partnership to the wider community
- Publishing profiles or stories of consumers involved in consumer partnerships with the organisation, and the contributions they have made.
Hospitals
The Clinical Governance Standard has specific actions relating to health service organisations’ quality improvement systems.
- Action 1.08 – quality improvement systems
- Action 1.09 – reporting
- Action 1.11 – incident management and investigation systems
Health service organisations should use these and other established safety and quality systems to support monitoring, reporting and implementation of quality improvement strategies for partnering with consumers.
Monitor effectiveness and performance
Use the organisation’s quality improvement systems to identify and set priorities for the organisational and clinical strategies for partnering with consumers.
Strategies to monitor the effectiveness of systems for partnering with consumers include:
- Developing or adopting meaningful performance indicators that are relevant to the organisation and can be used to measure improvements in consumer partnerships
- Conducting an internal evaluation of consumer partnerships across governance, strategic leadership, safety and quality, and performance management systems;1 use the Organisational Self-Assessment Survey for Consumer Engagement2 to assist with an internal evaluation
- Engaging independent evaluators or state- or territory-based consumer peak organisations to provide an external perspective on the organisation’s consumer partnership systems1
- Integrating consumer partnership into the overall goals of the organisation, so that it is assessed alongside other business goals, such as productivity1
- Conducting a gap analysis to identify areas that need improving by comparing current systems for partnering with consumers with an ideal future state3
- Routinely collecting data about the experience of consumers, including
- feedback and complaints through surveys or suggestion forms3, 4
- patient stories
- feedback from consumers who are currently using the service, through informal discussions, interviews, and the use of handheld devices or computers for capturing survey responses.4
Implement quality improvement strategies
Strategies to improve systems and performance for partnering with consumers may include:
- Problem-solving methods such as hosting a brainstorm involving consumers, the workforce and governance members to generate improvement ideas3
- Engaging managers to act as champions of consumer partnership
- Providing education to the workforce to reinforce the roles of consumers.4
Review the strategies for partnering with consumers presented in Action 2.11 to identify opportunities for improving systems of partnership.
Report outcomes
Strategies for reporting on the effectiveness and outcomes of partnering with consumers may include5:
- Developing formal progress and evaluation reports for members of the organisation’s leadership and governing body, the workforce, consumers and consumer organisations, and the wider community
- Using internal newsletters or memos to report on the effectiveness and outcomes of the organisation’s consumer partnership
- Using local community media to disseminate stories about the effectiveness and outcomes of the organisation’s consumer partnership to the wider community
- Publishing profiles or stories of consumers involved in consumer partnerships with the organisation, and the contributions they have made
- Hosting events to present the outcomes of systems for partnering with consumers, inviting members of the organisation’s leadership and governing body, the workforce, consumers and consumer organisations, and the wider community.
Day Procedure Services
The Clinical Governance Standard has specific actions relating to health service organisations’ quality improvement systems.
- Action 1.08 – quality improvement systems
- Action 1.09 – reporting
- Action 1.11 – incident management and investigation systems
Health service organisations should use these and other established safety and quality systems to support monitoring, reporting and implementation of quality improvement strategies for partnering with consumers.
Monitor effectiveness and performance
Use the organisation’s quality improvement systems to identify and set priorities for the organisational and clinical strategies for partnering with consumers.
Monitor effectiveness and performance
Use the organisation’s quality improvement systems to identify and set priorities for the organisational and clinical strategies for partnering with consumers.
Strategies to monitor the effectiveness of systems for partnering with consumers include:
- Developing or adopting meaningful performance indicators that are relevant to the day procedure setting and can be used to measure improvements in consumer partnerships
- Regularly collecting feedback from consumers through surveys, suggestion boxes, follow-up phone calls, and formal or informal consultation4
- Seeking feedback from consumer representatives about their experience of consumer partnerships
- Using the outcomes of evaluations or feedback processes to identify areas for improvement and implement solutions
- Using internal newsletters or memos to report on the effectiveness of consumer partnerships and any quality improvements the organisation has made
- Using local community media to disseminate stories about consumer partnerships to the wider community
- Publishing profiles or stories of consumers involved in consumer partnerships with the organisation, and the contributions they have made.
Examples of evidence
Select only examples currently in use:
- Organisation-wide quality improvement system that includes performance measures for partnering with consumers
- Audit of health service organisation performance against identified measures for partnering with consumers
- Results of consumer and carer experience surveys reviewed by the governing body or relevant committees
- Committee and meeting records in which feedback from consumers and the workforce on the health service organisation’s safety and quality systems is reported
- Review of the incident monitoring system to identify areas of concern in consumer partnerships
- Quality improvement plan that includes actions to deal with issues identified
- Consumer and carer information packages or resources about the health service organisation’s processes for partnering with consumers
- Examples of improvement activities that have been implemented and evaluated to maximise the engagement of patients and consumers
- Reports on safety and quality performance that are published in annual reports, newsletters, newspaper articles, radio items, websites or other local media
- Records of focus groups or meetings involving consumers in which the appropriateness and accessibility of safety and quality performance information were discussed
- Communication with the workforce and consumers on the effectiveness and outcomes of the health service organisation’s consumer partnerships
- Formal progress reports or evaluation reports provided to members of the health service organisation’s governance committees, leadership team and workforce; consumers; and the wider community
- Feedback from consumers, carers and the workforce on involvement of consumers in quality improvement systems.
MPS & Small Hospitals
The Clinical Governance Standard has specific actions relating to health service organisations’ quality improvement systems.
- Action 1.08 – quality improvement systems
- Action 1.09 – reporting
- Action 1.11 – incident management and investigation systems
Health service organisations should use these and other established safety and quality systems to support monitoring, reporting and implementation of quality improvement strategies for partnering with consumers.
Monitor effectiveness and performance
Use the organisation’s quality improvement systems to identify and set priorities for the organisational and clinical strategies for partnering with consumers.
Strategies to monitor the effectiveness of systems for partnering with consumers include:
- Developing or adopting meaningful performance indicators that are relevant to the organisation and can be used to measure improvements in consumer partnerships
- Integrating consumer partnership into the overall goals of the organisation, so that it is assessed alongside other business goals, such as productivity1
- Conducting a gap analysis to identify areas that need improving by comparing current systems for partnering with consumers with an ideal future state3
- Routinely collecting data about the experience of consumers, including
- feedback and complaints through surveys or suggestion forms3, 4
- patient stories
- feedback from consumers who are currently using the service, through informal discussions, interviews, and the use of handheld devices or computers for capturing survey responses.3
Implement quality improvement strategies
Strategies to improve systems and performance for partnering with consumers may include:
- Problem-solving methods such as hosting a brainstorm involving consumers, the workforce and governance members to generate improvement ideas3
- Engaging managers to act as champions of consumer partnership
- Providing education to the workforce to reinforce the roles of consumers.4
Review the strategies for partnering with consumers presented in Action 2.11 to identify opportunities for improving systems of partnership.
Report outcomes
Strategies for reporting on the effectiveness and outcomes of partnering with consumers may include5:
- Using internal newsletters or memos to report on the effectiveness and outcomes of the organisation’s consumer partnership
- Using local community media to disseminate stories about the effectiveness and outcomes of the organisation’s consumer partnership to the wider community
- Publishing profiles or stories of consumers involved in consumer partnerships with the organisation, and the contributions they have made.
References
- Consumers Health Forum of Australia. ‘Unique and essential’: a review of the role of consumer representatives in health decision-making. Canberra: CHF; 2015.
- Cancer Australia. Organisational self-assessment survey for consumer engagement. Sydney: Cancer Australia; 2013.
- Australian Council on Healthcare Standards. EQuIP national resource: risk management and quality improvement handbook. Sydney: ACHS; 2013.
- Johnson A. Consumer and community engagement in health services: a literature review to support the development of an evidence-based consumer and community engagement strategy for the Women’s and Children’s Health Network, South Australia. Adelaide: Health Consumers Alliance of South Australia and SA Health; 2015.
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Development of a consumer engagement statement for the Commission: consultation report. Sydney: ACSQHC; 2008.