Page 3655 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 15 October 1991
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Rate based clinical indicators are those like wound infection rates. Potential problems are indicated if the facility has a higher percentage than is acceptable for that specific condition compared with an objective standard. This provides information to identify areas for investigation and quality improvement, so it is a very important process. Sentinel events are those which happen so rarely or which describe such a major event that they should be investigated individually - for example, an unexpected death in the hospital. All sentinel events are identified and reviewed to ensure that opportunities for improvement are taken.
The hospital-wide medical indicator set determined jointly by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards and all the royal colleges of medicine includes trauma, post-operative pulmonary embolism, hospital readmissions, return to the operating room, hospital acquired infections, medication prescription and drug monitoring, and hospital throughput-output.
The Woden Valley Hospital Clinical Quality Assurance Committee has the responsibility for establishing clinical quality assurance throughout the medical divisions, including the monitoring of hospital-wide clinical indicators and evaluating medical quality assurance. Personnel working within the quality assurance unit are involved with the gathering of clinical data.
Hospital administration endorses the development of clinical and hospital-wide indicators. It has implemented their use in order to develop a comprehensive quality assurance program within the hospital which will meet the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards requirements.
I think that at the end of that answer the Leader of the Opposition would now agree that they are important issues for our hospital system and the delivery of high quality care to the people of the ACT. They are indeed issues which are consistent with Labor's commitment to the provision of quality health care which is accessible by the community through the public system.
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I draw attention to standing order 118, particularly the section that says that the answer must be concise.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Kaine, for the observation. I believe that you have finished, Mr Berry?
MR BERRY: Thank you, Mr Speaker.
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