HACM9002 Clinical Practice Improvement

Topic only available to students meeting the eligibility requirements for entry to the postgraduate health administration programs.

This topic is delivered by senior staff of SA Health Department as part of SA Health's professional development program, under independent organisational and registration arrangements. Thus it will include participants who are senior clinicians/professionals and clinician managers who are not completing a postgraduate qualification in health administration. Postgraduate health administration students wishing to undertake this topic must be employed in the health sector, complete the SA Health application form, have their line manager's support and have a "problem worth solving" with supporting evidence where applicable. Entry is competitive.

Quality improvement theory, clinical practice improvement methodology, teamwork, evidence-based practice, consumer and stakeholder involvement, project management, change management, continuous improvement through PDSA cycles, and the application of the methodology to improve patient care and outcomes

This topic aims to enhance students' skills in the application, implementation and evaluation of quality improvement methodology to clinical practice and processes.

1. Build a business case for quality improvement in health care
2. Identify and use relevant tools of quality improvement to analyse patient care processes, prioritise opportunities for improvement, monitor, measure and evaluate progress
3. Organise and lead a quality improvement project
4. Demonstrate a participative approach to quality improvement through involvement of relevant stakeholders, including patients, in various aspects of the project
5. Present the result of a project in verbal and written report format