Continuous Quality Improvement

Over the past several years, Manitoba has invested in many initiatives targeted at strengthening the primary care system. These initiatives help to reduce disparities, ensure a sustainable health care system and improve outcomes related to access to services, quality and safety in service delivery, patient-centered care, system efficiency and effectiveness.

Measurement, evaluation and quality improvement frameworks are developed and embedded into existing regional, provincial and/or national planning, accountability and governance processes. A continuous quality improvement approach is essentially defined by the attention to data collection and monitoring, processes analysis and improvement, targets definition and measurement.

At a system level, implicit benefits of such approach display their effects in terms of: ongoing and constant performance monitoring, strategic definition of how to adapt/change processes for target achievement, savings from the implementation of more efficient processes, informed decision making, increase in reporting capacity and quality, increase in system transparency and reliability.

Primary Care Quality Indicators

Manitoba Primary Care Quality Indicators (PCQI) are developed in partnership with Manitoba physicians and other providers/specialists based on the primary care indicators originally developed by Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). They are evidence-based and measure clinical quality processes in primary care across Manitoba. For the complete list of Manitoba PCQIs with their calculations, see the Manitoba Primary Care Indicator Guides below.

• Manitoba Primary Care Quality Indicators Guide (Short Version) – Contains summary tables of the PCQIs .
• Manitoba Primary Care Quality Indicators Guide (Long Version) – Contains a more detailed list of the PCQIs, including a description of how they are calculated

Primary Care Quality Indicators are regularly reviewed and revised by the Manitoba Primary Care Indicator Advisory Committee (MPAC). MPAC, comprised of primary care clinicians, program managers and other key stakeholders, provides input and advice regarding the development, implementation and evaluation of PCQIs across primary care settings in Manitoba. Questions and suggestions related to PCQI development can be sent to [email protected].

Primary care clinics participating in various programs and initiatives in Manitoba regularly capture and track their indicator completeness on a range of PCQIs in their EMR. This enables them to regularly review patient care managementas a basis for further practice reflection and continuous quality improvement. The data captured in the EMRs about the patient services provided and PCQIs captured are submitted to Health via the Primary Care Data Extract (PCDE.) 

For more information on the Primary Care Data Extract, EMR Certification and support with EMR and data quality improvement, contact the Primary Care/Community Information Systems Office (PCIS) at [email protected] or call at (204) 926-3482.

Access Improvement Model

The Access Improvement Model (AIM) program is designed for primary care teams. It focuses on improving patient access through developing and understanding quality improvement, change management, and team-building skills.