Spotlight on Quality Improvement

NWMPHN QI spotlights are RACGP CPD-accredited, peer-based programs for GPs and practice teams.

Primary health networks are funded to improve health outcomes for every person in its region. As part of our work, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) supports general practice to meet community needs.

A large component of this support is through education for GPs, nurses, allied health providers and non-clinical members of the health care team.

Our quality improvement (QI) spotlights are RACGP CPD-accredited, peer-based programs for GPs and practice teams. Each spotlight runs over a set period, focuses on a particular area of improvement, and allows general practices to collaborate with colleagues to support improvement and new ideas.

Next QI spotlight: Palliative care for general practice

NWMPHN’s next spotlight runs between February and April 2025 and focuses on building general practice capability in managing palliative care patients.

The first phase of this activity involved an online education session, held on 19 November 2024, titled Practical palliative care for general practices: working together for better outcomes.

Click here to watch a recording of the session.

Two online workshops will follow in February and April 2025. Links to both events are coming soon.

The spotlight has two activity streams that providers can select: palliative care and advanced care planning. It is open to general practitioners and practice teams, and will be CPD-accredited (total hours to be confirmed). The spotlight will include points on the following activities: educational activities, reviewing performance and measuring outcomes.

For more information and to pre-register, contact Jack.Williams@nwmphn.org.au

Benefits
Participating in a quality improvement spotlight brings several benefits. These include:
- Improving health outcomes for patients and community.
- Earning RACGP CPD including Reviewing Performance and Measuring Outcomes hours.
- Collaborating with peers in the NWMPHN catchment to brainstorm ideas, discuss local referral pathways and solutions.
- Receiving one-on-one support from your NWMPHN relationship manager throughout the project.
- Being provided with written step-by-step resources to support you through the QI activities. These can be used to support CPD-hours, and RACGP Accreditation Quality Improvement Module requirements.
What’s involved?

Spotlight quality improvement activities are staged every quarter.

Each involves an initial education session and two online peer-based workshops over three months. You can participate as an individual or as part of a practice team but the evidence indicates that a whole of practice approach results in greater outcomes.

Participants complete a dedicated workbook, supported by NWMPHN’s relationship manager. At the conclusion of the Spotlight activity, participants will be invited to provide feedback as part of an evaluation survey.
Want to know more?

If you have questions, please call our Primary Care team on (03) 9347 1188, or send an email to primarycare@nwmphn.org.au

To discover NWPHN’s full catalogue of quality improvement activities, go to this webpage.
Past spotlights
Cardiovascular disease risk (August – October 2024)
- Between August and October 2024, NWMPHN ran a spotlight series focusing on improving responses to assessing and treating cardiovascular disease risk.
- The first phase of this activity involved an online education session titled Mastering CVD risk assessment: Essentials for general practice. Click here to watch a recording.
- This was followed by two peer-based online workshops. Completing the full QI spotlight activity provided GPs with seven CPD hours (comprising 1 hour Educational Activities, 2.5 hours Reviewing Performance, 3.5 hours Measuring Outcomes).