Quality plan - Equity project

Practices are more likely to achieve and sustain health equity outcomes if the commitment is driven by boards and senior leadership and have policies that reflect this.

EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOUR PRACTICE COULD DO

• Review all policies, including your recruitment policy.
  - Is your practice embedding equity into recruitment policies and practices?
  - Do you have an up-to-date health equity policy (requirement of Cornerstone)?
  - Is your Māori health plan actively reviewed (annually) and reflective of what you do?
• Complete a health equity audit of your practice (self-assessment). Note – you may want to focus on specific areas as a first step, such as starting with governance structures within your organisation.

Cultural competence requires an awareness of cultural diversity and the ability to function effectively, and respectfully when working with and treating people of different cultural backgrounds. Cultural competence means a doctor has the attitudes, skills and knowledge needed to achieve this.

 - Medical council of NZ statement on cultural safety, 2019

EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOUR PRACTICE COULD DO

• As a team complete equity training.
• As a team start learning Te Reo.
• Participate in cultural competency training as part of Te Manawanui.
• Watch the Equity and HQSC – learning and education modules on understanding bias in health care.
  • There are three 15-minute videos that all contribute to CME and CNE points.
  • After viewing the videos you could discuss them at a team meeting: what it means as a practice and what activities could be associated with this. For example, you could appoint an equity champion (which is a requirement of Foundation Standard) with a clear role description and ensure dedicated time is set aside within the practice for equity activities.
  • Download the 'Equity project - Bias in healthcare' PDF below to guide you if you choose this for your equity project.

Knowing your population and any gaps around access or outcomes is the first step to improving equity.

EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOUR PRACTICE COULD DO

• Complete a gap analysis of an area of diagnosis/referral/treatment within your practice using power BI to support this piece of work.
• Complete a gap analysis of an area of diagnosis/referral/treatment within your practice using power BI to support this piece of work.
• Complete an audit of prescribing in an area of work. BPAC provide a number of audits that focus on equity.
  • We have put together some information alongside the BPAC asthma audit that practices could use to look at the management of asthma for Māori patients.
  • Download the 'Equity project - Asthma' PDF below to guide you if you choose this for your equity project.
  • Data for this project will be available in healthlink folders in late July. 
• Work with Māori health providers in your area to collaborate and reduce gaps in access.
• Use He Ako Hiringa targeting optimal HbA1c in type 2 diabetes.
• Do you know what the voice of your Māori patients is?
  • How do you gain patient feedback? This could be through the National Patient Experience Survey or other surveys/focus groups. 
  • Have a look at the data portal for the National Patient Experience Survey and use the drop down to look at response rates. Does representation of feedback reflect your population?  If not, why not – is there another way you could capture what your Māori patients are saying?