Our approach to quality improvement is deeply rooted in the science of improvement.

At WentWest, we are committed to driving positive change in primary care through Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). By partnering with practices across Western Sydney, we aim to transform care delivery, ensuring better patient outcomes and sustainable practice operations.

Transforming Care

What is Continuous Quality Improvement?

We work at varying levels across the Western Sydney general practice landscape. This work has required a long-term and ongoing investment by GPs and their practices, in partnership with us. The intensity of effort requires to transform care cannot be underestimated.

In a time of inevitable change in primary care, the demand on Primary Health Network activities increase. Practices are recognising the need for change and are seeking out greater support from us as they move away from traditional program implementation and strive for practice transformation.

CQI is a systematic, ongoing approach to improving processes and systems within primary care. It enables practices to enhance their capacity, deliver patient-centred care, and meet the evolving needs of their communities.

Quality Improvement Framework

Key benefits of CQI activities include:

Changing leadership, systems and structures are at the core of supporting and improving capacity in primary care.

The Model for Improvement is based on Edward Deming’s work and is a simple yet effective tool for bringing about positive change. It asks three simple questions to establish a clear and succinct “plan” and achieves accelerated change through the implementation of Planning, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles.

  • Improve practice and patient health outcomes 
  • Enhance business sustainability and revenue  
  • Acquire Continued Professional Development (CPD) hours for GPs, nurses and pharmacists 
  • Optimise referral via HealthPathways and digital tools  

Transforming Care with Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)

Underpinning this work is the Quintuple Aim and the 10 Building Blocks of High Performing Primary Care, which provide a framework for measuring CQI activities and support your journey towards primary care transformation. Our Primary Care team will work closely with you to implement CQI cycles, allowing you to achieve the first four blocks of engaged leadership, data-driven improvement, patient registration and team-based care.  

Person-Centre Care and MyMedicare

We support practices in delivering person-centred care through programs like our Patient Centred Medical Home (PCMH) and MyMedicare. These initiatives strengthen connections between patients, their GPs, and care teams while emphasising accessibility, coordination, and quality.

Quality Improvement Framework: Model for Improvement and PDSA

Our Quality Improvement Framework integrates the Model for Improvement (MFI) and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, offering a structured approach to continuous healthcare improvements.

The Model for Improvement, based on Edward Deming’s work, is a simple yet powerful tool for driving positive change. It focuses on three essential questions: 

  1. Goal: What are we trying to accomplish?
  2. Measure(s): How will we know that a change is an improvement?
  3. Change Ideas: What changes can we make that will result in improvement? 

These questions help define a clear and concise “plan” and facilitate accelerated change through iterative PDSA cycles. The PDSA cycle is implemented as follows: 

  1. Plan: Identify improvement areas, set objectives, and define goals.
  2. Do: Implement changes on a small scale to test effectiveness.
  3. Study: Analyse data to assess the impact of changes.
  4. Act: Decide whether to adopt, adjust, or abandon the changes. 

By combining the Model for Improvement and PDSA, healthcare providers can systematically drive change, enhance patient care, improve efficiency, and achieve better outcomes.

For more details, refer to the Guidance Document and Template.

Earn CPD Hours through CQI Activities

Looking to meet your RACGP CPD requirements? WentWest offers quality improvement activities can help you earn hours in Reviewing Performance (RP) and Measuring Outcomes (MO) including: 

  • Educational Activities (EA): Access to our Education Calendar, recorded webinars, and resources. 
  • Reviewing Performance (RP): Analyse clinical data, reflect on outcomes, and engage in practice meetings. 
  • Measuring Outcomes (MO): Use PDSA cycles to implement and evaluate changes with your team. 

 

Ready to Get Started?

Collaborate with WentWest to engage your team in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and transform your practice for better patient care.

How We Can Support You:

  • Tailored Plans: Work with our Primary Care team to create and implement custom Practice QI plans using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles.
  • Analyse Data: Upskill your team to use Pen CS suite and other tools to gain valuable insights from patient data.
  • Toolkits: The CQI Toolkits designed to simplify change into manageable Quality Improvement (QI) activities that enhance processes and systems. Sign up now to unlock these valuable tools!
  • Collaborate and Track Progress: Foster teamwork by setting shared goals, holding practice meetings, reviewing activities, tracking outcomes, celebrating successes, and using data to benchmark progress and identify opportunities for growth.

 

Join Our CQI Program Today!

Sign up for WentWest's CQI activities to access expert guidance, tools and resources that will elevate your practice and improve patient outcomes.

For support, contact our Primary Care Team:

  • Phone: 8811 7117