Improvement Work in New Zealand

Long-Term Conditions Collaborative

Improvement Foundation Australia (IFA) is supporting the Auckland District Health Board (ADHB) in New Zealand with the implementation of a Collaborative focussed on long term conditions which has funding support from the Ministry of Health.

The objective of the Equipped Primary Care Collaborative is to encourage and support general practice teams to make systematic and sustainable improvements in the care they provide to people living with long term conditions by applying quality improvement methods and skills.

The topics include:

• System Re-design
• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular Disease and Self-Management Support

15 general practices are involved, supported by 5 Primary Healthcare Organisations (PHOs*) who commenced the program in March 2009 and will continue to submit monthly data until March 2010.

*PHOs are similar to Australian Divisions of General Practice