Improving use of medicines with clinician-led use of  validated clinical indicators

Lowinger, Jocelyn S; Stark, Helen E; Kelly, Maria; Hughes, Clifford F; Gazarian, Madlen; Kaye, Karen I

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2010.tb03473.x

Topics

Quality Use of Medicines indicators can be used to drive system improvements in health care

Use of clinical indicators with collection and monitoring of meaningful data has been recognised as important for driving improvements in the safety and quality of health care.1 Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) is one aspect of health care in which continual improvement is vitally important. QUM forms part of Australia’s National Medicines Policy and involves judicious selection of treatment options (including choice between drug or non-drug treatment and no treatment), appropriate choice of medicines when they are required, and safe and efficacious use of medicines.2

1 New South Wales Therapeutic Advisory Group, Sydney, NSW.
2 Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, Sydney, NSW.
3 Clinical Excellence Commission, Sydney, NSW.
4 School of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW.
5 Sydney Children’s Hospital, Sydney, NSW.
6 National Prescribing Service Limited, Sydney, NSW.

Correspondence: jlowinger@stvincents.com.au

Acknowledgements:

We gratefully acknowledge the input of members of the steering committee and field test hospitals as listed in the indicator manual.

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