title: Indicators for continuous quality improvement for otitis media in primary health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
abstract: Otitis media is a common, generally self-limiting childhood illness that can progress to severe disease and have lifelong sequelae, including hearing loss and developmental delays. Severe disease is disproportionately prevalent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Primary health care is at the frontline of appropriate prevention and treatment. Continuous quality improvement in the prevention and management of important causes of morbidity in client populations is accepted best practice in primary health care and now a requirement of Australian Government funding to services providing care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. To date, there have been no indicators for continuous quality improvement in the prevention and management of otitis media and its sequelae in primary health care. Through an expert group consensus process, seven evidence-based indicators, potentially extractable from electronic health records, have been developed. The development process and indicators are described.
authors.affiliation: 14 The Mainsail, Port Macquarie, NSW 2444, Australia.
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sibthorpe
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of General Practice, Australian National University, PO Box 11, Woden, ACT 2606, Australia.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Agostino
authors.affiliation: School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, GPO Box D184, Perth, WA 6840, Australia.
authors.forename: Harvey
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Coates
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, WA 6872, Australia.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weeks
authors.affiliation: Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, WA 6872, Australia.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.affiliation: Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia, 450 Beaufort Street, Highgate, WA 6003, Australia.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: School of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Western Australia, GPO Box D184, Perth, WA 6840, Australia.
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lannigan
authors.affiliation: Edith Cowan University, 2 Bradfield Street, Mount Lawley, WA 6050, Australia.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McAullay
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards; D058996:Quality Improvement