Innovative partnership to deliver improved patient outcomes
HCF Research Foundation partners with ICHOM
Sydney, 2 May 2016 - The HCF Research Foundation today announced an innovative partnership with the International Consortium for Health Care Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM), a move that will help transform the Australian health care system by introducing standardised measurement and reporting of patient results.
ICHOM, a non-profit organisation, works with health care systems worldwide to deliver health care outcome measurement tools. It develops standardised approaches for the collection and reporting of patient experiences, focusing on the results from treatment that matter most to patients.
The HCF Research Foundation is working with ICHOM to develop two new Standard Sets – in Oral Health and Pregnancy & Childbirth – to better measure health care results in these areas throughout Australia. The Foundation is also funding the implementation of the ICHOM Standard Set for Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis at Royal Melbourne Hospital to help improve outcomes for Australians with hip and knee joint pain.
Chair of the HCF Research Foundation, Dr Lisa McIntyre, said: “We are proud to have forged a relationship with an organisation such as ICHOM, a relationship that will ultimately mean improved health care results for all Australians. ICHOM’s mission is to ensure patients are placed at the centre of health care – a commitment that aligns with our own objectives.
“Much like ICHOM, the HCF Research Foundation believes that patient outcomes are a key measure of success in health care. When seeking treatment, patients want to know what their life will be like after treatment: will I return to work, will I be able to take care of myself, will my symptoms improve? The answer to these sorts of questions is ultimately how patients will judge their overall health care experience. Helping patients answer these questions and creating a standardised measurement around them is a key reason we partnered with ICHOM,” Dr McIntyre said.
Michael Porter, cofounder of ICHOM and a world renowned authority on strategy, said, “It takes forward-thinking organisations like the HCF Research Foundation to engage with the worldwide community and deliver significant improvements in health care across the world, and specifically in Australia. We are honoured by the HCF Research Foundation’s financial support for new outcome standards in both Pregnancy and Childbirth and Oral Health, as well as additional research that will guide implementation of ICHOM’s work for patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis.”
At the end of the first year, the HCF Foundation expects to see this partnership deliver the complete Pregnancy and Childbirth Standard Set, with the development of the ICHOM Oral Health Standard Set also due to be underway by this time.
For more information on the HCF Research Foundation, visit www.hcf.com.au/about-us/hcf-foundation