QUALITY USE OF MEDICINES

Question 1

In healthcare, quality can be described as

Answer 1

“the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge”

Question 2

How do we improve Quality

Answer 2

Improvement on quality is done by reasearch. Quality can be defined, measured and improved upon.

Question 3

6 Dimensions of Quality in Healthcare

Answer 3

Safety-making sure treatment does not harm patient. Addressing the route cause of safety is not always straightforward. But using the system’s perspective can promote culture of safety

Effectiveness-how well treatments are carried compared to how they were designed. Related to the development and implementation of evidence based guidelines.

Efficiency-tries to prevent waste. Waste is when resources are used without having added benefits. Do expensive procedures provide better outcomes? Is it worth it? Staying inpatient rather than outpatient

Timeliness-access (Can patients access care at the moment they need it?) and System Responsive - Can the hospital or healthcare system provide the care in a timely manner

Equity-Research that explores equity compares how treatment and outcome differs in different population groups.

Patient-centredness-options where patients can choose a treatment plan that works best for them. Care should align with values that the patient agrees with. Length of life is not always as important as the quality of life (ie excessive pain, suffering and alienation)

Question 4

Systems Thinking

Answer 4

systems thinking, which is “used to describe interacting factors that produce outcomes, predict their behaviour, and develop interventions to achieve desired results

Question 5

What is the goal of the National Strategy for Quality Use of Medicines?

Answer 5

The goal of the National Strategy for QUM is to make the best possible use of medicines to improve health outcomes for all Australians.

This recognises that many people maintain their health without using medicines, while for others, medicines play an important role in maintaining health, preventing illness and curing disease.

Question 6

4. What are the three key elements of the quality use of medicines (QUM)?

Question 7

5. What are the health and economic benefits of the quality use of medicines, and what are the health and economic risks associated with the misuse, underuse, or overuse of medicines?

Question 8

QUALITY USE OF MEDICINES MEANS

Answer 8

QUM means:

• Selecting management options wisely;
• considering the place of medicines in treating illness and maintaining health
• recognising that there may be better ways than medicine to manage many disorders
• Choosing suitable medicines if a medicine is considered necessary;
• the individual
• the clinical condition
• risks and benefits
• dosage and length of treatment
• any co-existing conditions
• other therapies
• monitoring considerations
• costs for the individual, the community and the health system as a whole; and
• Using medicines safely and effectively.
• monitoring outcomes
• minimising misuse, over-use and under-use
• improving people’s ability to solve problems related to medication, such as negative effects or managing multiple medications.