Eight primary care-led quality improvement projects selected for Whakakotahi 2019
Eight projects from primary care provider teams from around the country have been selected for the Health Quality & Safety Commission’s Whakakotahi 2019 quality improvement programme.
Applicants were invited to submit proposals about any area of patient care they wanted to improve that was important to their patients/community and to them as providers of care.
Successful providers are supported by the Commission to learn about and implement their quality improvement projects, and share what they learn within their wider organisation, with the primary care sector and broader health and quality improvement communities.
All the projects support the Commission’s three primary care strategic priority areas: equity, integration and consumer engagement. Equity was given greater importance in Whakakotahi 2019 selection criteria.
This year the Commission has entered into a partnership with PHARMAC Te Pātaka Whaioranga to support three projects that focus on medicine access equity.
Chair of the Commission’s primary care expert advisory group, and member of the Whakakotahi selection panel, GP John Wellingham, says it’s wonderful to see the Commission’s three primary care strategic policy areas reflected so strongly in the Whakakotahi 2019 projects.
‘This year we had even more Māori health organisations and pharmacies applying, along with general practices, primary health organisations and non-government organisations, proving that there is a strong interest in primary care quality improvement.
‘The Commission is looking forward to building on the learnings from previous Whakakotahi projects, sharing our quality improvement knowledge and resources with our primary care partners and working with PHARMAC Te Pātaka Whaioranga’.
PHARMAC Chief Executive, Sarah Fitt, says partnering with the Commission for Whakakotahi 2019 is a fantastic opportunity for both organisations.
‘We’re acutely aware that to achieve our goal of eliminating inequities in medicines access by 2025 we need to work with organisations that reach people who have inequitable access to medicines.
‘Whakakotahi is an opportunity for PHARMAC and the Commission to learn about what works for patients and better understand the barriers and challenges that lead to inequitable access to medicines.’
Whakakotahi is also supported by Te Tihi, an alliance of nine iwi, hapū and Māori organisations that works collectively to deliver whānau-centred services for Māori health.
Te Tihi supports the Commission’s primary care team in engaging with Māori health organisations through cultural guidance and advice on achieving improved outcomes for Māori patients and communities.
To enhance the learning experience, a member of each project team is offered a position on the primary care quality improvement facilitator course delivered by Ko Awatea and the Commission's primary care and capability building programmes.