Resources

With the publication of STAR ratings, Australian aged care enters a new era of quality measurement and public reporting. What can we learn from other countries using similar systems about the potential for published ratings to effect improvement?

A comprehensive guide to collecting, analysing and presenting quality data from the Victorian Quality Council

The benefits of using statistical process control charts for presenting quality data and how to use them.

Older adults report Quality of Life (QoL) as a central goal for aged care, with 93% of Australians agreeing that it should be mandatory for providers to publicly report on QoL measures. Quality of life is also considered by older Australians as a valuable indicator for comparing aged care services. But it’s still not routinely measured and reported in clinical governance datasets.

Hospital boards are ultimately accountable for the quality of care delivered in hospitals. As such, data review is a key component of effective hospital board governance. But what is the best way to present quality data so it tells the story?

Variations in the way care is accessed or delivered, and in clinical outcomes, can be highly informative. It may be that such variations are warranted or expected (for example, the surge in telehealth at the outset of the pandemic, or in the number of infection-related deaths) or may reflect person-centredness and individual choice. However sometimes variations may be ‘unwarranted’ and unveil weaknesses in the quality of care, or worse still, herald the risk of harm.

Effective governance at board level means knowing what you need to know, and clearly communicating this.