Advertising


News

Help shape the next general practice standards


Morgan Liotta


23/09/2024 3:49:29 PM

Member feedback will inform the next edition Standards, to help ensure the new indicators are reflective of Australian general practices.

Female GP using stethoscope on patient
Member feedback will help to address the Standards’ vision for general practices to deliver safe, high-quality and continuously improving care.

The RACGP has released the first draft of its sixth edition Standards for general practices for public consultation, marking the first step in testing the new Standards, which will update the fifth edition.
 
Members now have the opportunity to provide feedback to inform the college’s understanding on whether the proposed new indicators are feasible and reflective of contemporary general practices across Australia.
 
The sixth edition has been developed by the RACGP Expert Committee – Standards for general practices (REC–SGP) using:

  • feedback from general practices and general practice staff who undertake accreditation
  • best practice evidence
  • the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) Guidelines and principles for the development of health and social care standards
  • consumer engagement to develop consumer expectations of accredited practices.
Dr Louise Acland is Chair of the REC–SGP. She told newsGP the consultation sets out to address the vision and mission of the updated Standards, thus member feedback is valuable.
 
‘The main objectives of the consultation are to obtain members’ opinions on whether the sixth edition Standards addresses its vision for Australian general practices to deliver care that is safe, of high-quality and continuously improving,’ she said. 
 
‘And the mission to co-produce contemporary Standards so that patients who visit an accredited general practice in Australia can expect safe and high-quality care.
 
‘The draft sixth edition of the Standards is evidence-based upon international and national best practice and literature.’
 
Dr Acland said the Standards team will be testing ‘the real-world application’ of the next edition, to learn whether indicators are feasible, acceptable, applicable and outcomes focused, and identify any practical issues with implementation.
 
‘We also want to alert the RACGP to areas that require further development – to see if there are any gaps and issues in implementing the Standards, whether the explanatory materials are clear and useful, and if the structure is meaningful,’ she said.
 
According to the RACGP, the Standards for general practices are a marker of high-quality and safe patient care for general practice and often an important first step for eligibility to access to Commonwealth-funded incentive programs.
 
The sixth edition is newly structured with four standards that collectively address the essential elements of a safe and quality general practice:
 
  1. Foundations of general practice – captures core elements of setting up and running a practice
  2. Clinical governance – addresses systems and processes for the provision of the quality and safety of clinical care  
  3. Patient participation – aims to engage patients to meaningfully contribute to the quality and safety of their care
  4. Continuous quality improvement – encourages general practices to continuously evaluate, monitor and improve the quality of their services to enhance patient care and experiences
The Standards are developed by the RACGP using a modified Delphi protocol. Once the first-round consultation phase and piloting are completed, the draft sixth edition will be reviewed by the Standards Committee and updated according to its recommendations. There will then be a second round of consultation based on feedback, and concurrent piloting and review.
 
The sixth edition is also based on stakeholder feedback on the previous edition that included scoping consultation with general practices, and for the first time, consumers have been engaged by the RACGP to develop expectation statements that are positioned at the beginning of each criterion.
 
Dr Acland said there are a number of new indicators, including around environmental sustainability, digital care, and consumer engagement. Indicators for practice planning have been strengthened to include mission and values statements, and strategic and objective plans, with the number of mandatory indicators reduced from 117 in the fifth edition to 76 in the sixth edition.
 
‘The indicators in the sixth edition have been configured so they do not impact on clinical autonomy, reflecting that most GPs are independent contractors and not employees of the general practices in which they consult,’ Dr Acland said.
 
‘Member feedback will help to shape the proposed new indicators and ensure they are reflective of Australian general practices.’
 
First-round consultation for the draft sixth edition Standards closes Sunday 20 October, with the next draft released for further consultation in 2025. More information is available on the RACGP website.
 
Log in below to join the conversation.



consultation practice accreditation RACGP standards standards for general practices


newsGP weekly poll Would you feel confident diagnosing ADHD and initiating treatments if laws allowed you to do so?
 
27%
 
62%
 
10%
Related



newsGP weekly poll Would you feel confident diagnosing ADHD and initiating treatments if laws allowed you to do so?

Advertising

Advertising


Login to comment