Quality Improvement Award Winners 2020
ACHS’s 23rd Annual Quality Improvement Award Winners Announced
The Forensic Mental Health Institute in Victoria and two metropolitan Queensland hospitals were the final winners in the annual ACHS Quality Improvement (QI) Awards announced tonight.
Forensicare in VIC, Redcliffe Hospital in QLD and Metro North Hospital & Health Service in QLD each took out an award, demonstrating their strong commitment to supporting and developing innovation in different areas of healthcare.
The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) CEO Dr Karen Luxford presented the Awards in three categories – Clinical Excellence and Patient Safety, Non-Clinical Service Delivery and Healthcare Measurement. A fourth category – open to international ACHS members - ‘Global Quality Improvement Award’ was won by the Hong Kong University Shenzhen Hospital in China.
The Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare) VIC won the Clinical Excellence and Patient Safety Award for their ‘Introducing a clinical support system to reduce aggression and the use of restrictive interventions’ submission.
Redcliffe Hospital, QLD won the Non-Clinical Service Delivery Award for their ‘Drive Through Pharmacy Collection’ – aimed at minimising hospital visits for vulnerable patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing requirements.
The Healthcare Measurement Award was won by Metro North Hospital and Health Service, QLD for their ‘Using Hospital Acquired Complication Data to Improve Patient Outcomes’ project from both technical (accurate coding) and clinical perspectives.
The Hong Kong University Shenzhen Hospital in China won the Global Quality Improvement Award for their ‘Reduction of door to wire time for patients suffering a heart attack’. This Award recognises projects that are using Australian healthcare standards to strengthen quality improvement frameworks internationally.
Dr Luxford said there were a record number of entries this year, with a strong focus on patient safety and quality improvement. “Many submissions focused on COVID-19 response management and business continuity plans,” she said. “The world has changed dramatically in 2020, and health teams have had to adapt quickly to new priorities during a pandemic and re-assess their everyday activities.”
“These awards promote innovation by introducing considered, timely improvements across the spectrum of health, placing patients at the centre of care. Every submission builds on previous practices by challenging current thinking and exploring new ways to address emerging issues.”
“ACHS is proud to host these Awards that recognise the strong new innovations that will benefit patients and their families,” she said.
The QI Awards 2020 were announced during the ACHS Virtual Awards Ceremony 2020 held on the evening of Thursday 26 November, which can be re-watched at: https://youtu.be/Rc4PcGwx2I0
Contact Communications Manager Ian McManus on (02) 8218 2743 or m 04111 59941 for more information.
