The new Practice Incentives Program (PIP) Quality Improvement (QI) Incentive is scheduled to commence on 1 August 2019.
As part of this change, four of the current PIPs (and their related Service Incentive Payments) will end on 30 July 2019. These are:
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Cervical Screening
- Quality Prescribing
While full details of the new PIP QI Incentive have yet to be released, the Department of Health has published documents offering guidance. (Please note that the PIP QI Guidelines is a draft document. We will notify you when the final version has been released.)
Registration for the new PIP QI Incentive commences on 1 August 2019 and practices will need a PRODA account to register.
There are two components an Accredited General Practice needs to meet in order to qualify for the PIP QI Incentive:
1. Provide the PIP Eligible Data Set to your local PHN (NCPHN)
Using the Pen CS suite of tools that NCPHN provides to practices, a de-identified extract of a subset of data (known as the PIP Eligible Data Set) will be taken once a quarter and sent electronically to NCPHN. This subset of data contains information about the specified Improvement Measures determined by the Department of Human Services.
2. Participate in Continuous Quality Improvement in partnership with your PHN (NCPHN)
Practices may undertake QI activities that focus on specified improvement measures that form the PIP Eligible Data Set, or choose to work on other activities with their PHN that better meet the needs of their practice population.
Here are some examples of activities that practices may wish to undertake:
- Establish a system for creating, validating and updating a register of your patients with diabetes.
- Establish appropriate care pathways for your patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).
- Establish proactive call/recall systems for people with CHD.
- Provide integrated care by improving the relationships between primary, secondary and tertiary providers to better suit your patients’ needs.
- Ensure patients can access resources that are culturally appropriate, in their own language and/or in plain English.
NCPHN has a number of QI activities already developed to support practices to undertake continuous quality improvement. We can also support practices to undertake their own particular QI projects or ideas.
The RACGP defines “continuous quality improvement” as an ongoing activity undertaken with the primary purpose to monitor, evaluate or improve the quality of the health care delivered to patients. These activities usually follow a ‘Plan, Do, Study, Act’ cycle. NCPHN can assist practices to develop these plans. Depending on the nature of the QI activities, practices may choose to work with the PHN on a larger plan that will take up to a year to complete, or choose a number of smaller activities to work on together throughout the year.
Next Steps
If your practice is not already sharing data with NCPHN via the Pen CS suite of tools, please contact your NCPHN Quality Improvement Support Officer as soon as possible to discuss installation and training. Your Quality Improvement Support Officer can also provide assistance with the HPOS and/or PRODA registration process.
NCPHN will communicate further information about the PIP QI Incentive as it becomes available. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact your Quality Improvement Support Officer.