Council activity

Page content: In progress | Completed

Projects approved by the VQC for development include the following:

In progress

• Victorian Patient Safety Climate Survey (VPSCS)
  The VPSCS pilot project has been completed. Following completing of the pilot, the VQC and its partner the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (VMIA) collaborated with the State Services Authority (SSA) to incorporate eight key patient safety questions derived from the pilot into the 2012 People Matter Survey. For further information please see the VPSCS pilot project or contact Alice Gleeson, Senior Project Officer, on 03 9096 0473. Current Status: In Progress/Under review.
  
  
• VQC Clinical Leadership in Quality and Safety (CLiQS) pilot program
  Effective clinical leadership is known to be an important driver of health care quality and safety improvement. On this basis, the VQC has engaged a provider to develop and deliver a leadership program that explores how best-practice clinical leadership can be applied in a practical way to address quality and safety issues within health care settings. The 9-month pilot program will comprise a range of delivery modes beginning with a one-day workshop scheduled for early December 2011.
  
  Applications for the program are being accepted between Monday 12 September and 5pm, Monday 3 October 2011. For further information including how to apply, see Clinical Leadership in Quality and Safety (CLiQS)
  
  
• Sponsorships and fellowships
  In 2011, the VQC is supporting 48 public health service staff to attend the Great Healthcare Challenge: Achieving Patient-Centred Outcomes conference in Melbourne, 11–14 October. The VQC is a platinum sponsor of this conference which is presented by the Healthcare Collaboration.
  
  For more information on the sponsorships and fellowships please contact Juliette Begg, Senior Project Officer, on 03 9096 9007.
  Current Status: In Progress
  

• Consumer Leadership and Education
  The VQC Consumer Leadership Development Pilot Program involving 18 participants commenced on February 6 and ran until October 2008.
  
  The program aimed to develop consumer leadership and effective participation in health care and included action learning workshops, a peer support network and mentoring.  Council has commenced work on the development of a new consumer education program. For further information please contact Ann-Maree Baker, VQC Project Officer, on 03 9096 1380
  Current Status: In Progress/Under review
  
  
• In 2011 the VQC released a 'Health care quality and safety monitoring in Victoria – Background paper'.
  
  
• In 2008 the VQC released 'A Guide for using Data for healthcare quality improvement'. For further information please contact Alice Gleeson , Senior Project Officer, on 03 9096 0473.
  Current Status: In Progress/Under review
  
  
• Interhospital Patient Transfer Project
  The Inter-hospital Transfer Form (IHTF) Pilot Project has been completed.

  The next steps will include the rollout of the IHTF by November 2011 to all Victorian Health Services.

  The Secretary for Health requests that all hospitals implement the form by January 2012.

  The form will be evaluated further following implementation. All IHTF users will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the IHTF.

  Please provide feedback on the IHTF between 1 and 31 May 2012, via email to vqc@health.vic.gov.au

Completed

• Acute Pain Management
  20 public and 5 private health services participated in the Acute Pain Management Measurement Toolkit (APMMT) implementation project. A final report was published in September 2008. The VQC has recently (June 2009) released an audit tool to support local measurement of acute pain management processes.
  Current Status: Completed 2009
  
  
• Change Management
  A proposed action of the 2005-2008 (term 2) strategic plan was to develop a paper to assist health services to implement and evaluate safety and quality activities. In order to introduce change successfully there is a need to understand change management. This paper has been developed to assist the “beginner” in project management or the clinician on the ward who has been given the responsibility of implementing practice change.
  Current Status: Completed 2006
  
  
• Clinical handover
  The clinical handover project conducted at three metropolitan and one regional health service was completed in December 2007.
  Current Status: Completed 2007
  
  
• Clinical Governance
  In 2003 the VQC released the Better Quality, Better Health Care: A Safety and Quality Improvement Framework for Victorian Health Services, it was later revised in 2005. The framework explores the roles and responsibilities of Boards, CEO's, Senior Management, Consumers and Clinicians. Current Status: Completed 2003
  
  
• Communicating with consumers: evidence into practice
  The VQC, in collaboration with the Cochrane Consumer and Communication Review Group and three metropolitan health services, has undertaken a project reviewing how existing evidence about effective communication strategies can be used to address issues related to quality and safety of patient care.
  
  
• Creating Safety: Addressing seclusion practices
  The VQC and the Chief Psychiatrist's Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) have formed a partnership to address the use of seclusion within Victoria's Area Mental Health Services. Full information on the project can be accessed at www.health.vic.gov.au/creatingsafety/
  Current Status: Completed December 2009
  
  
• Falls Prevention
  The VQC has produced a number of different tools and resources to help to minimise the instances of falls in the acute, sub-acute and residential aged care setting.  In September 2009 the VQC launched an online falls education package. The package focuses on the link between individual risk factors and the prevention strategies implemented.
  Current Status: Completed September 2009
  
  
• Hand hygiene project
  The VQC Hand Hygiene Project was designed to provide common training, practical resources and promote culture change. Sustainability rests in existing systems and connections between infection control and quality programs.
  Current Status: Completed/Delivered to the department
  
  
• Medication Safety
  The purpose of this qualitative study (2004) was to gather qualitative baseline information on medication safety management practices in Victorian health services. The study was undertaken via a survey of Directors of Pharmacy to determine the current procedures in Victorian hospitals. For related information please go to Victorian Medical Advisory Committee: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/vmac/
  Medication Safety approach (248kb, pdf)
  Current Status: Completed 2004
  
  
• Pressure Ulcer Prevention
  The VQC produced two Pressure Ulcer Point Prevalence Surveys, consumer information material and online education packages addressing the basic elements of pressure ulcer prevention and management.  One package developed for use by clinicians (released in 2006) and the other for the residential aged care setting (released 2009).
  Current Status: Completed/Delivered to the department
  
  
• Process Mapping
  In 2007 the VQC produced a Process Mapping guide.  Having a variety of methods, or quality improvement tools, to guide activities, can make the process for change/review simpler and more logical for all involved.
  Current Status: Completed 2007
  
  
• Safety and Quality Education program
  Western Health, Wimmera Health Care Group and Colac Area Health completed a pilot of the five modules of the VQC Safety and Quality Education Program.
  Current Status: Completed 2007
  
  
• Sustainability
  The VQC included Sustainability in its work in March 2007. A report on Sustainability in Healthcare was commissioned and in October 2007 and a ‘Sustainability Symposium was held in Melbourne.
  Understanding the Sustainability of Health Programs and Organisational Change (73kb, pdf)
  Current Status: Completed 2007
  
  
• Data
  In 2004 the VQC released the Healthcare Quality and Safety Data Directory.
  Current Status: Completed 2004
  
  
• Test Results
  In November 2004 the VQC released a report on the Failure to Communicate Significant Abnormal Results’.  The report includes findings of case examples and current (as at 2004) evidence in literature.
  Current Status: Completed 2004
  
  
• Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)
  The NICS VTE prevention program was undertaken from November 2005 to November 2007.  It aimed to improve use of VTE preventative measures in hospitalised patients, the assessment of all patients at risk and to integrate effective thromboprophylaxis systems into the core business of Australian hospitals.
  Current Status: Completed 2008

top of page