Framework for the Health Performance Council

In terms of aligning the framework for the Health Performance Council with the goals of the SA Health and Wellbeing Strategy, four common areas of health system performance can be identified pertaining to access, quality, efficiency and engagement.

These span the themes and goals of the SA Health and Wellbeing Strategy and provide a framework for the Health Performance Council's intended work.

Access

A critical issue for patients is access to care, including access to elective procedures and timely access in an emergency.

Access measures need to be analysed by geography and characteristics of the patient (e.g. patients from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds (CALD), Indigenous patients, people with a disability).

Quality

The HPC seeks to review quality indicators and patient reported outcomes across the health system.

Reviews can focus on both the impact on patient outcomes, likely cost implications of unplanned care and other quality measures.

The HPC could examine both in-hospital care and out-of-hospital indicators. As with access issues, quality measures should be analysed by geography and characteristics of the patient.

Efficiency

The HPC can seek to assess the efficiency of health services in South Australia, across the three types of efficiency (technical, allocative and dynamic). This would include comparisons of health care in this state versus other states.

Engagement

The Act requires the HPC to advise the Minister on the effectiveness of methods used within the health system to engage communities and individual in improving their health outcomes.

Consideration could be given to the effectiveness of existing forms of consumer engagement in the South Australian health system.