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Clinical Governance within Care @ Home

As models of care continue to evolve, the demand for safe, high-quality services delivered in the home is growing rapidly. But how do organisations maintain robust clinical governance when care extends beyond the walls of the hospital?

In this collaborative webinar hosted by the Australian Institute of Clinical Governance (AICG), representatives from the Health Roundtable, Hospital in the Home Society of Australasia (HITH Society), and Queensland Health’s Healthcare Improvement Unit came together to explore the real-world challenges and opportunities of clinical governance within care at home.

THE SHIFT BEYOND BRICKS AND MORTAR

Rebecca Clarke, Interim General Manager of Health Roundtable, highlighted how the boundaries of hospital care have shifted — and how governance must evolve to meet that reality.

“Hospital in the Home is no longer an adjunct, it’s a core part of how we deliver hospital-level care. That goes beyond the confines of the bricks and mortar structures.”

She explained that collaboration and data transparency are essential as care delivery models diversify.

“As demand for safe, high-quality care at home continues to grow, robust governance and reliable data are critical to progress these services.”

Clarke also outlined how benchmarking and analytics can strengthen governance practices across the sector:

“We help services understand how their data can help strengthen clinical governance, quality and safety in the delivery of care.”
DEFINING GOOD GOVERNANCE IN THE HOME ENVIRONMENT

Dr James Pollard, President of the Hospital in the Home Society Australasia, reflected on the complexity of governing care delivered outside traditional settings.

“It’s not simply about transferring hospital processes to the home environment — it’s about redesigning governance so that safety, accountability and communication are preserved no matter where the patient is.”

Pollard noted that Hospital in the Home has matured into a core clinical service across Australia, with shared responsibility between providers, clinicians and patients:

“We’ve moved beyond the pilot phase — this is mainstream healthcare now. And that means governance frameworks must be fit for purpose, scalable and responsive.”
collaboration and culture as foundations of safety

Anne-Marie Crozier, representing the HITH Society, spoke about the cultural dimension of governance and the need for shared values across multidisciplinary teams:

“You can have the best policies in the world, but if your teams don’t communicate, or if they don’t feel empowered to escalate issues, governance fails where it matters most — at the point of care.”

The panellists agreed that clinical governance is as much about relationships and culture as it is about systems and data.

“Safety isn’t created by documents,” Crozier added, “it’s created by people who know they’re supported to do the right thing.”
data, kpi's and continuous improvement

From the perspective of Queensland Health, Lorene Hines emphasised how measurement and monitoring enable continuous improvement in complex care environments.

“Data helps us see what’s working and where the risks are emerging. But it’s not about ticking boxes — it’s about learning, sharing and improving together.”

The discussion returned repeatedly to the role of learning systems in governance — frameworks that not only manage risk, but also actively promote improvement through shared data, reflective practice and transparent reporting.

looking ahead: governance for the future of care

In closing, the panel agreed that clinical governance in care-at-home models must remain adaptable as technology, workforce models and patient expectations continue to evolve.

“The future of care is distributed,” said Clarke. “Our challenge — and our opportunity — is to make sure governance travels with it.”

The conversation underscored the need for collaboration across organisations, consistent quality frameworks, and data-driven improvement to ensure patients receive safe, person-centred care wherever they are.

The full webinar recording is available exclusively to AICG members. Become a member today to access the video and explore more resources on advancing clinical governance in diverse care settings.

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