The new Practice Incentives Program (PIP) came into effect on 1 August 2019. It aims to support general practice activities, including continual improvements, quality care, enhanced capacity, and improved access and health outcomes for patients.
The PIP QI is designed for general practice to implement changes that are relevant to their patient population. This means a practice can focus on improving patient outcomes and access to care while also developing efficient business processes. The incentive aims to improve patient care in aspects such as management of chronic conditions, safety and performance.
Murray PHN PIP QI resources
To help you understand PIP QI, as well as the support and resources we can provide your practice, we have created the following:
- General practice handbook
- Overview for practice managers
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Quality improvement in general practice | PIP QI readiness checklist
- Example quality improvement diabetes data quality activity
- PIP QI Improvement Register
- Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) Model for Improvement template and video introduction below
Mental health quality improvement activities
We have created a suite of quality improvement activities that focus on different aspects of mental health in general practice. The aim of these activities is to enhance the general practice response to patients experiencing mental illness or poor mental health through building knowledge, skills, confidence and response at a local level. Practices can use the resources and work with their Murray PHN Quality Improvement Consultant to explore key areas of improvement and opportunity specific to their practice and staff.
This area of quality improvement acknowledges that mental illness and poor mental health can impact many areas of an individual’s life including health outcomes, and has been designed to align with the National Health Plan.
Please watch the following two videos that provide an introduction to the activities and an overview of what's included in each one. You can download the activities by scrolling down to the document links.
To download each PDSA, click the link and a Word file will automatically save:
- PDSA 1: Stepped Care
- PSDA 2: eMental health
- PDSA 3: Mental Health Treatment Plans
- PDSA 4: Medication reviews
- PDSA 5: Suicidality and suicide prevention
Alcohol and other drugs quality improvement activities
To assist and support general practice in our region, Murray PHN has developed a suite of quality improvement activities that focus on different aspects of AOD related topics in general practice. AOD is a major cause of preventable disease and illness in our region, and commonly, patients presenting with AOD concerns and issues often have an overlap with related and broader health issues, especially mental health.
Please watch the following two videos that provide an introduction to the activities and an overview of what's included in each one. You can download the activities by scrolling down to the document links.
To download each PDSA, click the link and a Word file will automatically save:
- PDSA - Embed smoking cessation conversations into routine care
- PDSA - Increase recording of smoking status for patients over 15
- PDSA - Increase recording of alcohol status for patients over 15
- PDSA - Improve opioid management and reduce risk
- PDSA - Increase uptake of Hep C therapy and treatment
Cancer screening QI tool kit
Through the Community-led cancer screening program, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, the development of a Cancer Screening Quality Improvement Tool Kit was commissioned by a consortium of three PHNs (Murray PHN, Western Victoria PHN, and North Western Melbourne PHN) to support ongoing quality improvement activities within general practice. Click the links below to download the toolkit:
- Cancer screening quality improvement tool kit 2019 | full version
- Cancer screening quality improvement tool kit 2019 | quick guide
Click the links below to download the toolkit in sections:
- Introduction
- Quality improvement planning
- Model for Improvement
- Measuring your progress through data
- Cancer screening in Australia
- Improving cancer screening
- A team approach
- Improving breast, bowel, cervical screening
- Continuous Quality Improvement
- Appendices 1-12
- Appendix 1 - The six rules of improvement
- Appendix 2 - Sample bowel screening letter
- Appendix 3 - Sample GP reminder mammography
- Appendix 4 - Sample GP reminder cervical
- Appendix 5 - Useful resources
- Appendix 6 - MBS item number guide
- Appendix 7 - Payment guide bowel screening
- Appendix 8 - Data cleaning and measurement
- Appendix 9 - QI plan template
- Appendix 10 - Model for Improvement template
- Appendix 11 - References
- Appendix 12 - Abbreviations
Murray PHN GP Data Report
Practices will be supported to access a GP Data Report that demonstrates practice performance against PIP QI benchmarks. This report is a great way to identify the health needs across your region and assist you to identify areas of improvement that will ultimately lead to an increase in patient visits and better patient outcomes.
The Report uses de-identified data drawn from PATCAT. For more information on your data sharing agreement process through PENCS software or how to use your GP Data Report, contact your Murray PHN Quality Improvement Consultant.
PIP QI practice requirements
- Commit to demonstrating quality improvement through activities that align to the needs of their patients. Information already captured within practice systems will be used to assist in developing innovative strategies that drive improvement.
- Share a minimum set of aggregated data with Murray PHN. This will be in accordance with the 10 key improvement measures, and collated at a local level by PHNs to assist in supporting improvement and understanding health needs. Data provided will be de-identified and any measures from an individual practice will not be made available to the Department of Health.
For further information
General practice staff can contact a Quality Improvement Consultant at Murray PHN for support with their quality improvement activities or general PIP QI queries e: GPsupport@murrayphn.org.au
Visit the Department of Health website and subscribe to Murray PHN's stakeholder newsletter, eNews - click here to subscribe.
Page last updated 30 May 2022