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For most people, the main point of access to the health system is through primary health care (PHC). The fundamental premise of primary health care is that all people, everywhere, have the right to receive the appropriate care in their community. Primary health care attends to the majority of a person鈥檚 health needs throughout their lifetime, including physical, mental and social wellbeing. PHC is people-centred rather than disease-centred. It is a whole-of-society approach that includes health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.
Primary health care and continuous quality improvement: An evidence-based guide provides an accessible contemporary guide on implementing continuous quality improvement (CQI) in PHC settings. The authors draw together two decades of practical experience and established leadership in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in Australia to provide guidance for health services and their staff, policymakers, researchers, funders and support organisations in an international context.
Primary health care and continuous quality improvement provides an in-depth understanding of how CQI can be used to strengthen health systems by:
- identifying core concepts underpinning CQI in PHC and how CQI can improve health care quality, health equity and population health;
- explaining how CQI data is used in a comprehensive approach to PHC to measure quality, and how data is generated and used for improving care;
- describing CQI tools and techniques used by PHC teams;
- offering guidance in interpreting data and addressing variation in care quality;
- providing case studies in maternal health, children鈥檚 health, mental health and other areas, to describe the application of CQI to improve clinical care;
- guiding practitioners on how to collaborate and build data systems for CQI, and strengthen links between communities and PHC services.
Continuous quality improvement is everybody鈥檚 business, and Primary health care and continuous quality improvement explains the strategic use of CQI at different levels of the health system and across sectors to achieve and sustain large-scale health improvement.
Alison Laycock is a research fellow at the University Centre for Rural Health, University of 宅男导航. Alison has worked collaboratively with community, research and health service partners to develop quality improvement tools and training resources, and guides for health promotion practice and health research in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care settings.
Ross Bailie is professor of rural health with the University of 宅男导航 School of Public Health and the University Centre for Rural Health, based in Lismore, Northern NSW. Ross鈥檚 research has been centred on increasing availability of information for policy and service planning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and for rural and remote communities.
Lynette O鈥橠onoghue is a proud Yankunytjatjara and Warumungu-Warlpiri woman, and a research fellow at the University Centre for Rural Health, University of 宅男导航. She has contributed significantly to Indigenous leadership of the NHMRC-funded Centre for Research Excellence in Strengthening Systems for Indigenous Health Care Equity, advocating meaningful engagement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and services in the design, implementation and translation of research activities.
List of abbreviations
鈥淎n important and much needed compendium of wisdom [from] authoritative sources in primary healthcare and continuous quality improvement.鈥� 鈥� Professor Andrew Carson-Stevens, Cardiff University 鈥淒raws extensively on good quality applied research [and] provides many important and useful lessons for applying and improving approaches to CQI.鈥� 鈥� Professor Lilian Dudley, Stellenbosch University 鈥淚 was fortunate to be part of the ABCD research team when it commenced in the NT. As a GP and public health physician, my focus was on research translation and improved outcomes for the NT population. The benefits of applying a continuous quality improvement (CQI) approach in primary health care was a slow, steady improvement in the delivery of care with corresponding improvement in client outcomes. This has led to significant improvements in life expectancy for Aboriginal people in the NT. The CQI approach teaches us that small changes in practice, applied consistently for large groups of clients, can result in significant and sustained health changes. If you are new to CQI, this book steps you through the process in clear, precise language with everything you need to know. For more experienced practitioners in CQI, this book will be a useful resource to refresh your knowledge, explore a new aspect or use as a training tool. The authors have summarised the knowledge and wisdom from thousands of PHC practitioners and clients so you can start applying this knowledge directly in your health service.鈥� 鈥� Adjunct Professor Christine Connors OAM, Chief Health Officer NT Health
Size: 297 x 210 mm
Pages: 422
ISBN: 9781743329269
Publication: 01 Jun 2025