G.P.s to face quality review

Press, 21 August 1989, Page 7

G.P.s to face quality review

A system to review the competency of doctors will be piloted in Christchurch and Auckland next year. The system aims to encourage on-going improvements in services provided by general practitioners. The concept of providing quality assurance for the public was discussed by about 70 delegates at the New Zealand Medical Association conference in Rotorua at the week-end. The pilot schemes were designed by the New Zealand College of General Practitioners’ education committee.

Dr Philip Barham, the director of the Goodfellow Unit for Continuing Education at the Auckland School of Medicine emphasised the system was not “just to catch the bad apples.” “Our emphasis is on improving the quality of care across the board, not looking for bad apples.” Complaints against 208 doctors had come to the attention of the Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Committee last year. Only 40 had proceeded to a formal inquiry because 59 were withdrawn and 109 could not be substantiated, he said.

This was a small number compared to the 6664 practising general practitioners in the country, said Dr Barham.

A quality assurance system designed just to catch incompetent doctors would take a great deal of time and money and would address deficiencies only in a small number of the profession, he said.

The pilot review systems would include doctors being provided with a mentor to oversee the review process and an assessor to ensure objectivity.

Doctors would also be provided with a log book to fill in over five years, detailing the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed by a competent general practitioner. The method had been used in a modified form with more than 300 general practitioners in the last 18 months, and up to 40 had’ already shown their enthusiasm by requesting log books and arranging mentors and assessors.