Developing indicators and measures of high-quality for Australian general practice

Background: Rising health costs and health inequity are major challenges in Australia, as internationally. Strong primary health care is well evidenced to address these challenges. Primary Health Networks (PHNs) work with general practices to collect data and support quality improvement; however, there is no consensus regarding what defines high quality. This paper describes the development of an evidence-based suite of indicators and measures of high-quality general practice for the Australian context. Methods: We reviewed the literature to develop a suitable framework and revise quality assurance measures currently in use, then reviewed these in three workshops with general practitioners, practice managers, nurses, consumers and PHN staff in western Sydney. We used a descriptive qualitative research approach to analyse the data. Results: A total of 125 evidence-based indicators were agreed to be relevant, and 80 were deemed both relevant and feasible. These were arranged across a framework based on the Quadruple Aim, and include structure, process and outcome measures. Conclusions: The agreed suite of indicators and measures will be further validated in collaboration with PHNs across Australia. This work has the potential to inform health systems innovation both nationally and internationally.