Benchmarking clinical practice
One of the major objectives of the Network is to “To develop and support information systems that address the quality of melanoma care in NSW”. In order to achieve this objective we have established a Melanoma Network data subcommittee and below are details of their first project.
Aims:
- To review the management of melanoma in line with evidence based clinical practice guidelines in both regional and metropolitan NSW
- To benchmark standards of care between individuals and within organisations
- To facilitate evidence-based quality improvement activities for clinicians around NSW
- To facilitate the maintenance of best practice for melanoma across NSW
Methods:
- Agree on data items which will allow the group to establish compliance with current clinical practice guidelines.
- Develop data collection materials including patient consent.
- Establish data collection processes
- Employ a nurse researcher to collect the data
- Develop a data base
- Trial the data collection
- Trial a report format for clinicians
Status:
Data dictionary, structured data collection forms, patient consent and Microsoft Access database have all been completed.
Please click to access a PDF version of the data dictionary.
Our nurse researcher has been employed and has commenced working on the project.
