Quality Improvement Council (QIC) Program
About the QIC Standards and Accreditation Program
With the ever-increasing requirement for service providers to demonstrate outcomes, it is imperative that human service organisations and their communities of interest are able to identify and use appropriate outcome measures to review and improve business processes.
The QIC Standards and Accreditation Program is one framework that integrates outcomes in planning and evaluation activities.
The emphasis of the Standards is population and individual outcomes, which makes the QIC Program an increasingly valuable tool.
The QIC framework encourages client focused service delivery by supporting staff to work with clients/patients in identifying and achieving agreed outcomes.
From a population perspective, the QIC framework supports services to measure health outcomes by considering broader issues such as environmental, social, cultural and economic impacts on health.
QIC Ltd has developed the Health and Community Services Core Module, the 6th edition of this module is to be introduced in 2010. For further information please contact IHCA.
About the Quality Improvement Council Limited (QIC)
QIC Ltd is a national non-profit organisation that aims to promote and assist services within the health and community sector through a program of continuous quality improvement. It is the owner of the QIC Standards and QIC review process.
The QIC Standards and Accreditation Program provides:
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Guidelines for effective quality management and service delivery
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Criteria for organisational and program development
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A process to improve planning and evaluation
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A focus on consumer and community involvement
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A system for accreditation
How the QIC Standards were developed
Denise Fry and Lesley King originally developed the Manual of Standards of Community and Other Primary Health Care Services in the early 1980’s following developmental work in New South Wales. The Standards were trialled in community health centres in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria and were first published in 1985. In 1987 the Commonwealth funded the Australian Community Health Association (ACHA) to develop the Community Health Accreditation Services Program (CHASP) nationally. Since then the manual has been used extensively to review primary health care services across Australia.
The manual was revised four years later after wide consultation with staff, managers, policy makers, academics and consumers. The Standards, which are now referred to as the QIC Standards, are currently undergoing their 6th edition and will be introduced in 2010.
The current edition of QIC Standards (6th Edition)
The current edition of the Standards is based on a systems approach; whereby service providers use a “Quality Journal” to self assess themselves against the Standards and record documentary evidence supporting their compliance with the Standards requirements.
QIC also endorses standards owned by other bodies. These include:
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New Zealand Health and Disability Services Standards
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Women’s Health Centre Standards
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Community Services Organisation Standards
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Centres Against Sexual Assault Standards (Victoria)
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Home and Community Care National Service Standards
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WANADA Quality Framework
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Community Services Module
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Palliative Care Standards
The standards within the 6th Edition of the Core Module are grouped under the following section headings:
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Building quality organisations
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Providing quality services and programs
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Sustaining external quality relationships
In relation to each Standard, there are a number of Evidence Questions, which assist organisations in addressing the Standards.
The QIC Review Cycle
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Is a cycle of continuous quality improvement
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Uses an organisational development model of quality management
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Has a strong consumer focus
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Encourages adoption of a primary health care philosophy
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Enhances the capacity of individuals and communities to take control of their own health care
The Standards can be used as:
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Guidelines for service development
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A quality management tool
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Criteria for accreditation
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An educational tool for students and staff
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A management tool to plan and evaluate services
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Best practice guidelines
Benefits of the QIC review process:
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Supporting the development of a learning organisation
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Emphasising partnerships and collaboration within an organisation
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Empowering workers and consumers in decision-making
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Encouraging effective communication to achieve a common vision
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Providing a framework for continuous quality improvement
An independent, third party review against the QIC Standards assesses the extent to which your organisation or service complies with defined standards.
A review aims to:
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Provide your organisation with a comprehensive and detailed assessment of its operation as a whole
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Make recommendations for better attainment of the Standards
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Stimulate and guide a range of ongoing planning, quality and evaluation activities
The review is undertaken over a period of five days, which involves the review team collecting information from a diverse range of sources including a range of stakeholders: governing body, management team, staff, other service providers and consumers; service documents and site observation.
The following diagram describes the relationship between the stages within the QIC Review Cycle.
Stages of the QIC Review Cycle
1. Internal Review
Self assessment of your organisation against the QIC Standards.
This stage involves the completion of a “Quality Journal,” a self assessment tool to assist you in undertaking an internal review of your organisation’s systems and processes against the QIC Standards. The Journal/s enable your organisation to benchmark itself against the Standards and document evidence you have to support compliance with the Standards requirements. Your organisation is required to describe the systems you have in place to meet each Standard and how continuous quality improvement is achieved using the Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) approach.
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Your organisation is required to detail in the Quality Journal sources of documentary evidence which support your practic
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Your organisation then rates the Quality Journal using the following scale:
1. Leading Practice
2. Met
3. Met in Part
4. Not Met
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Following internal review, your organisation is encouraged to identify areas for improvement and outline strategies to address these areas where possible.
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The timeframe for the completion of the Quality Journal/s is variable and can usually be undertaken within three (3) to nine (9) months, however this is at the discretion of your organisation.
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If your organisation has never before undergone a third party (external) assessment against standards, a ‘developmental’ review option is available. As the name suggests, this provides a learning experience and gives your organisation an opportunity to be benchmarked against the QIC Standards without having to meet the requirements for accreditation.
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Three months prior to the proposed review date the draft Quality Journals should be submitted to IHCA for approval and confirmation of the review date. The final Quality Journals are due five weeks prior to the external review.
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Prior to the external review your organisation arranges an independent (as much as possible) audit of client and program records. This can be undertaken by a Health Information Manager or another professional who is qualified to audit these records. A site inspection audit is also required to be undertaken at every site where services are provided. In relation to each audit, a written report outlining the outcomes and recommendations for improvement is required.
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Where appropriate, when an organisation is undertaking a review for accreditation purposes, reports on consultations and evaluation (such as surveys) involving consumers and stakeholders are also required.
2. External Review
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The review week commences with the review team interviewing members of the governing body, management, staff, other service providers (stakeholders) and consumers.
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The review team then assesses your organisation’s compliance with the Standards. In circumstances where your organisation is undertaking an accreditation review, the review team also assesses progress against a Quality Work Plan, which was developed following the previous review.
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The review team documents the outcomes of the review in a report detailing your organisation’s achievements and makes recommendations as to how your organisation can better comply with the Standards.
3. Feedback
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Two feedback sessions are conducted: verbal feedback by the review team on completion of the external review, and a more formal feedback session after the draft review report has been circulated within your organisation for comment. The former provides a brief outline of the findings of the review team whilst the latter provides for interpretation and clarification of issues raised in the review report.
4. Taking Action
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Following an external review, your organisation will be required to consider the recommendations of the review team and draft a Quality Work Plan outlining the quality improvement initiatives your organisation is committed to undertaking until the next external review. This documented is submitted to IHCA and your organisation is required to provide regular reports outlining progress in implementing the Plan. There are a number of options available in which to submit a progress report, for example, by documenting progress on the Plan, by interview or exception reporting. The preferred option is agreed with IHCA prior to submission of any progress reports.
Reviewing Organisational Performance Workshops
An organisation participating in the QIC Standards and Accreditation Program is required to have a minimum of one staff member complete a two-day workshop conducted by IHCA, called a “Reviewing Organisational Performance (ROP) Workshop”.
Increasing the number of staff with an understanding of the QIC Standards and their application to your organisation enhances the success of implementing continuous quality improvement. It is recommended that organisations with multiple centres or sites allow for one staff member from each site or centre to attend the workshop. Team leaders are also encouraged to attend the first day of the workshop, which includes an introduction and overview of the QIC Standards and review process.
You may wish to enrol a proposed review contact person (RCP) in a workshop conducted in Brisbane or at a location nearer to your premises. It is also strongly recommended the RCP be someone with middle to upper level management experience as this further promotes participation by all levels of staff.
The two-day Reviewing Organisational Performance Workshop has been specially designed to:
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Provide participants with an overview of the QIC Standards and review processes
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Enable participants to critically reflect on organisational systems and processes
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Enable participants to understand organisational structures and processes required to support continuous quality improvement (CQI) at all levels within an organisation
Learning outcomes for participants include:
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Enhanced understanding of the QIC Standards and Accreditation Program
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Skills in reviewing practice against Standards
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Exploration of strategies for implementing continuous quality improvement
Costs of participating in the QIC Standards and Accreditation Program
IHCA will offer competitive pricing on application and base pricing on the following factors:
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Scope of services
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Staff numbers
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Demographics
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Site location
Course Cost Per Person
(GST inc.)
Reviewing Organisational Performance Workshop Available on Application
Consultancy Projects
NOTE: IHCA can provide your organisation with consultancy services relevant to the QIC Standards and other standards you may be required to comply with.
Examples of consultancy projects we undertake include:
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The development and implementation of standards compliant systems and processes
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Workshops on quality improvement, strategic and operational planning, governance
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The development of policy and procedure manuals
QIC Standards and Accreditation Program secure areas:
(Note: to follow either of the links below, you will require a username and password, which can be obtained by contacting the administrator of this site on 07 3844 2222)
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