2005 Finalist

Developing a peer review system for community-driven health organisations

A programme for reviewing the quality of work being carried out by community health organisations is spreading the message of good practice among the community sector.

Health Care Aotearoa is a network of 50 primary health care providers offering services to low-income and high-risk populations. It launched Te Wana Quality Programme to strengthen community health organisations.

The programme is based on sets of quality standards and a process to measure participating groups against those standards. It provides a systematic way for organisations to look at what they do and how they can make improvements. The accrediting body is the Quality Improvement Council (QIC) based at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia.

The programme covers Te Tiriti o Waitangi, management and leadership, consumer and community participation, consumer rights, planning, quality improvement and evaluation, training and development and the work environment.

Groups currently on the programme range from national organisations such as the Mental Health Foundation and Plunket, to iwi providers, marae groups, Pacifika groups, community and union health and youth services.

A key feature of the programme is the use of peer review teams to provide groups with feedback on their achievement of Te Wana quality standards. Te Wana trains peer reviewers to the competencies set by the QIC. About 95 reviewers have been trained to date.

So far three organisations, Ngati Ruanui Health Centre, Ngati Porou Hauora, and Newtown Union Health Service have achieved initial accreditations. Fifty more groups are working towards accreditation.

Health Care Aotearoa Inc
Contact: Jac Lynch 04 381 2865 or 0272 555 800
Email: Jacl@hca.org.nz