Our collective efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of our population will be further strengthened by the adoption of a new set of measures.

These high level measures of our population’s health outcomes (shown in the middle of the diagram above) have been prioritised by the Ministry of Health as indicators of DHB’s performance.  In August 2016, local clinicians from across our health system came together to consider the high level measures, review the available data and identify key areas to focus our attention.

The resultant System Level Measures Framework 2016-17 Improvement Plan documents Canterbury’s set of locally-selected contributory measures (shown in the outer circle of the diagram) and an agreed milestone for each of the high level system measures.  Canterbury’s 2016-17 Improvement Plan was approved by the Ministry of Health in November, and is now being used as an exemplar for other alliances across New Zealand.  The Improvement Plan can be viewed by clicking here.

General Manager Planning and Funding, Carolyn Gullery says the new measures align with the Canterbury Health System Outcomes Framework, which continues to be the overarching way that we track our health system’s performance.

“This new framework is exciting because it allows the Canterbury Health System to focus on our local priorities and address our population’s key health outcomes in our reporting to the Ministry.

“These new measures are in line with the Ministry’s move to a more outcomes-based approach to performance measurement. In Canterbury, we’ve tracked performance in this way for years through our Outcomes Framework, so it’s great to extend this approach. 

Each milestone and contributory measure has been based on analysis of local trends and is considered appropriate to the needs and priorities of our unique Canterbury population. We’ll continue to refine these system level measures as part of our Outcomes Framework as we move forward each year.”

The Canterbury Clinical Network (CCN) led the development of this Improvement Plan, bringing together partners from across the system into the discussion. Clinically led service areas and expert groups are being engaged to support progress against the measures.

A reporting process for the six measures is under development to ensure there is visibility of progress against these contributory and system level measures.

The new measures align with the Canterbury Outcomes Framework	System Level Measures Framework 2016-17 Improvement Plan