Clinical Audit Tool
In this section:
What is CAT?
The PCS Clinical Audit Tool (CAT) is a population reporting enhancement to the leading GP Clinical Desktop Systems in Australian general practice, CAT allows practice staff to look at their data in new ways for the achievement of best practice and data quality while optimising the financial opportunities for GPs and the Practice.
CAT scrutinises the aggregated patient information of the practice and presents it quickly and accurately in a refreshing graphical format that is easy to understand.
Practice staff can produce a list of patients who fall into selected population ‘target groups’ making population health and quality care initiatives simple to act upon and measure. Business opportunities can be identified.
Using worlds-best graphics, CAT is simple to use, seamless to implement and is a highly effective tool in improving patient population and business outcomes. Within minutes of installing the system it is ready to deliver for your practice. CAT operates with the GP Clinical Desktop System (currently Zedmed, MD3, MD2, Best Practice & Genie Solutions) to present the GP and practice staff with meaningful information on the practice population.
Divisions of General Practice will also benefit from CAT as a tool to measure, aggregate and improve NPI data. In addition, CAT provides the flexibility to report, measure and improve outcomes across the wide range of programs driven by Divisions of General Practice throughout Australia.
CAT can answer your practice population questions with just the click of a mouse!
Pen Computer Systems (PCS)
Pen Computer Systems (PCS) is a primary care e-health software development company with 17 years experience delivering solutions to enhance the delivery of Federal and State government health initiatives. PCS have developed solutions for Aboriginal Health, Domiciliary Nursing and General Practice with specialist knowledge and a proven record in:
- Chronic Disease Management
- Decision Support
- Electronic Health Record (EHRs)
- Patient Recall, Management and Clinical Information Systems
- Web-based Clinical Guidelines
- Interoperability of Clinical Systems
- Local, Regional and State Deployed eHealth Solutions
PCS are a Microsoft Certified Partner and use the latest technologies in software development along with a ‘standards framework’ that is aligned with National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) standards such as:
- SNOMED-CT® - a standardised healthcare terminology that has been identified by NEHTA as the preferred national terminology for Australia
- HL7 Messaging - HL7 is a ‘lingua franca’ used by healthcare computers to talk to other computers and has been determined by NEHTA as the standard upon which systems will communicate.
PCS clients range from Federal and State Government, Divisions of General Practice, Peak Health Bodies, regional health organizations as well as individual health services.
The Clinical Audit Tool (CAT) is a product of this broad experience and the increasing focus on population health and quality in primary health, (particularly from a long history in Aboriginal Health where population health management and the role of team-based care has been a focus for many years.)
Pen Computer Systems (PCS) Data Aggregation Policy Statement
PCS is a health informatics company that enjoys the privilege of delivering systems that assist Australia in the prevention and management of chronic disease through engagement with primary health services. We believe it is not in the public interest or in the company interest to have an investment in commercial use of patient data. In all cases, PCS products and development are consistent with this policy.
Pen Computer Systems (PCS) Data Aggregation Policy Statement (PDF 162KB)
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is the national leader for setting and maintaining general practice standards, education, research and training in Australian general practice. The college is the oldest and largest general practice organization in Australia.
The RACGP is committed to supporting general practitioners (GPs) in their career, through a program of lifelong professional education and learning, from early medical student days to their professional training through to retirement.
The RACGP’s mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities across Australia by supporting GPs in their pursuit of clinical excellence and ensuring high quality education, training, continuing professional development and research for general practice.
As a not-for-profit organization, all funds generated by the RACGP are committed to meeting and supporting its mission. General practice is part of the Australian health care system and operates predominantly through private medical practices which provide unreferred access to medical care. The RACGP works to improve the standards of health care for all Australians – especially groups of people with special health care needs.
Why are PEN and RACGP working together?
The RACGP recognises that there are substantial opportunities for general practitioners and practice team to use consultation gathered patient information for:
- More consistent individual patient care;
- Understanding the needs of the practices population, including the provision of new services; and
- Business improvement.
The RACGP has reviewed a range of tools and supports the CAT as it is easy to use, timely and useful. Furthermore the tool is standards compliant.
Divisions of General Practice: Reporting and program enhancement through CAT
CAT is currently engaged by 62 Divisions of General Practice throughout Australia as a powerful tool to target, measure and enhance the effectiveness of programs delivered through general practice.
CAT not only provides valuable reporting tools to Divisions to meet National Performance Indicator (NPI) requirements, but has enough flexibility to address the needs of specific Division Programs across a broad spectrum of primary health initiatives such as:
- Chronic Disease Management and Prevention
- Cervical Screening
- Obesity
- Immunisations
- Mental Health
- Medication Profiling
- Home Medicine Review (HMR)
The key to the successful implementation of CAT as a valuable tool for Divisions of General Practice is that CAT provides real benefits to the practices within the Division also. CAT is a tool through which Divisions can truly engage with their practices to achieve outstanding results for the Division.