The Collaborative methodology promotes rapid change allowing practices to experience the benefits in short time frames. It is an improvement method which relies on the spread and adaptation of existing knowledge to multiple settings in order to accomplish a common aim. The Collaborative Program will help build practice capacity and uses methodology based on the quality improvement principles of the model for improvement.

The Collaborative methodology works because it is straightforward, there is hands-on support, and the framework promotes protected time for participants to spend together solving problems as a team.

Healthcare Collaboratives are built on a tried and tested method, developed in the USA, which has been applied to a wide range of management challenges. It was originally applied to healthcare systems by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in the USA, and has been adopted in other countries, most recently and effectively through the National Primary Care Development Team in the UK.

The Collaboratives program has resulted in key changes within Australian primary care and better health outcomes for patients with chronic disease, including:

• Improved patient care through better management of diabetes and coronary heart disease
• Increased best practice care through better use of information systems (both medical and business systems)
• Evolving roles among practice staff to better meet patient demand
• A cultural shift from individual patient care to population based care

To date, over 700 Australian general practices have participated in the program and achieved significant improvements throughout their involvement.

The Australian Primary Care Collaborative (APCC) initially focused on three topic areas for general practice: Diabetes, Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), and Access and Care Redesign. In June 2009, the Improvement Foundation (IFA) introduced 2 new topics: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Lifestyle and Risk Modification including Chronic Disease Patient Self-Management (CDPSM)

The Model for Improvement is a simple, yet effective tool used to test ideas t. It consists of two parts. The first part, the "thinking part", consists of three fundamental questions to guide improvement work.

• What are we trying to accomplish?
• How will we know that a change is an improvement?
• What changes can we make that will result in an improvement?

The second part, the "doing part", is made up of rapid, small Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycles to test and implement change in real work settings. The PDSA cycle guides the test of a change to determine if the change is an improvement. The changes are deliberately small and focus on achieving sustainable improvements specific to the individual practice setting.

SEA-GP has been a part of the The Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Program since 2005. To date 28 SEA-GP (Brisbane) practices have participated in the program.

Results have been positive, which demonstrates the ability of the program to make significant changes in general practice. Collaboratives is about supporting general practice in delivering rapid, measurable, systematic and sustainable improvements in practice operations and the care provided to patients.

The second phase of the program is now in progress, with a further seven SEA-GP (Brisbane) practices participating in the Queensland Local Collaborative. This is in partnership with SouthEast Primary HealthCare Network and RHealth. These practices are focusing their work around the topics of diabetes and access and care redesign. The local collaborative consists of 4 Learning Workshops spaced over a 12 month period with improvement activities carried out within the practices between the workshops.
SEA-GP (Brisbane) also has 6 practices participating in the national wave focusing on the new topics of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Lifestyle and Risk Modification including Chronic Disease Patient Self-Management (CDPSM).

The APCC program offers a number of opportunities to achieve improved health outcomes for patients, building stronger practice teams and enhancing systems and efficiency.  Some of types of areas that can be enhanced are

• Improved health outcomes for patients with chronic diseases
• Doctors running on time
• Accurate and up-to-date patient registers
• Improved team based culture within the practice
• Doctors being available at short notice
• Patients receiving best standard of care possible
• Improved GP and staff morale.

For further information on the Collaboratives program please contact the SEA-GP (Brisbane) Collaborative Program Managers Amber Scott, John Marchant or Belinda Bricker.

Return to TOP