Healthy for Life Evaluation Activities

Provides information on the requirements for evaluation of the Healthy for Life program

The Healthy for Life Evaluation and Outcomes Framework was developed by a consultant appointed by the Department of Health and Ageing, in collaboration with the Healthy for Life Evaluation and Outcomes Reference Group. Health Services were represented on the Evaluation and Outcomes Reference Group and Round 1 Healthy for Life organisations were consulted. This included two rounds of site consultation visits.

Evaluation and Outcomes Framework
The Support, Collection, Analysis and Reporting Function (SCARF)
Essential Indicators
Population Measurement
Patient Information and Recall Systems
Data Management Plan

Evaluation and Outcomes Framework

The objectives of the Evaluation and Outcomes Framework are to:

• Assess the effectiveness, efficiency and appropriateness of the Healthy for Life program in achieving its stated objectives and outcomes;
• Inform ongoing improvements at the health service and health system levels and the program design and policy level;
• Provide evidence to inform best practice in maternal and child health and chronic disease within a quality improvement framework at the service level;
• Be technically sound; and
• Be informed by health service, State and Territory and National work on performance indicator development and usage.

In June 2009 Urbis Pty Ltd completed the final report on the ‘Evaluation of the Healthy for Life Program’(PDF 2004KB).

The Final Report found the flexible approach of the Program for the delivery of high quality maternal and child health services and chronic disease care to be well designed and consistent with its objectives. The Program enabled services to respond to locally-identified needs. Urbis recommended the Program retain its focus on continuous quality improvement (CQI). The Report emphasises the importance of collecting good quality population level data to inform service improvement. Urbis also found that the nature and range of the program support provided has been a key success factor in the Healthy for Life Program’s implementation. There have been significant gains in the quality of data collected for maternal and child health and chronic disease care.

Urbis discussed many problems and criticisms from service providers and advocacy groups in reaching their Final Report.Top of page

The Support, Collection, Analysis and Reporting Function (SCARF)

Menzies School of Health Research, in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), and SRA Information Technology Pty. Ltd., were the successful tenderers for the SCARF work. They commenced on 31 March 2007.

In developing the Evaluation and Outcomes Framework, strong emphasis was placed on the use of data to support learning at both the local and national levels. Recognising that there are diverse services involved with differing management structures, program delivery models at differing stages of development, staff skills and data capacity, the SCARF works directly with Healthy for Life services to improve the quality of their data and assist services in using their own data for local learning to improve service delivery.

The SCARF involves 6 monthly data collection. The 6 monthly National Reports which aggregate service data, inform participating health services and the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) on the progress toward program objectives, expected outcomes and national and service level learning.

Since March 2008, Healthy for Life services have entered their data on OSCAR (OATSIH Support Collection, Analysis, Reporting), a web based data collection tool.

Essential Indicators

The Healthy for Life program needs to be able to measure and demonstrate progress against its objectives, and a set of Essential Indicators was developed to allow this to happen. Data from the Essential Indicators measure achievements toward the short and long term outcomes of the Healthy for Life Program. All Healthy for Life sites report against the Essential Indicators, which focus on significant chronic diseases, health assessments and maternal and child health.

The attached table below titled Essential Indicators lists the reporting periods for the Healthy for Life Essential Indicators Version 3.3. The technical specifications for these Essential Indicators are provided in the attached document Technical specifications for 11 essential indicators Version 3.3.

Please see the revised and updated Version 5.1 (June 2011) of the Essential Indicators incorporating:

• changes to the MBS items;
• the updated National Immunisation Program Schedule (NIPS) and immunisation coverage rules;
• the updated chronic disease blood pressure guidelines; and
• renumbering of the Indications

The revised and updated Version 5.1 of the Essential Indicator Technical Specifications can be found below and copies of the new fact sheets outlining the changes.

Essential Indicators (PDF 49 KB)
Technical specifications for 11 essential indicators Version 3.3 (PDF 552 KB)
Technical specifications for the Essential Indicators Version 5.1 (PDF 426 KB)
Fact Sheets (PDF 237 KB)

The data collection and reporting system is designed so that it adds value to the work of each service. All services should make sure they have provision for data collection and staff training to support collection of the Essential Indicators.

The AIHW Data Quality Helpdesk can be contacted on: 1800 723 258 or by email at: dataquality@aihw.gov.au Top of page

Population Measurement

The Healthy for Life program is based on a population health approach to service delivery. However, to enable consistency of reporting measures across sites only ‘regular’ clients are to be included in Essential Indicator reporting.

A regular client definition of 'two attendances within three years’ was agreed for the Healthy for Life Program in December 2008.

Reporting against the Essential Indicators is at the aggregate service level. No client level data is collected. Aggregate data is collected and reported as a total over a given reporting period and does not contain identifying information.

Patient Information and Recall Systems

Patient Information and Recall Systems (PIRS) and other information technology have a major role in data collection for Healthy for Life.

The OSCAR system supports Healthy for Life reporting of both qualitative and quantitative data. Many services have PIRS systems that record the information needed for the quantitative data. Some PIRS systems provide customised reports for the quantitative data needed for Healthy for Life reporting.

Enquiries can be made to the SCARF Helpdesk on:
Phone: 1800 085 268
scarfhelp@Menzies.edu.au

Data Management Plan

The SCARF team has developed a data management plan that describes in practical terms how the agency will comply with all relevant legislation and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Data Principles. It is a Funding Agreement requirement for services to participate in the Evaluation and Outcomes Framework. The SCARF team enters into a signed Service Participation Agreement with each participating Healthy for Life Service.

If you are unable to access any of the attachments please email OATSIH Enquiries or phone: 02 6289 5291Top of page

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