Foreword

In late 1996, the Acute Health Quality Committee was established to advise the Department of Human Services on broad strategic directions to promote quality in Victoria's public acute health care services. The Committee endorsed an earlier recommendation following the 1995 Quality Review in Victoria's public hospitals, to develop and implement a set of key performance indicators. This paper represents the first stage of this work, which has involved a review of existing indicator programs to inform the development of a state-wide indicator strategy.

The proposed strategy has been reviewed and endorsed by the Acute Health Quality Committee. In commending this paper to you, I recognise the complexity of some of the issues surrounding performance indicator development and monitoring and the debate which they may provoke. Nonetheless, it is such debate which will help to ensure that the approach taken and measures adopted will be useful and relevant to all stakeholders and will inform the provision of highest quality health care.

Acute Health Performance Indicators: Strategy for Victoria, represents a significant step forward in developing an overall framework for quality in Victoria. Your contributions and comments are now sought and are vital in shaping the directions for performance monitoring in this State.

Professor Stephen Duckett

Chair,

Acute Health Quality Committee

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