Renal Home Support Scheme quality initiative

In 1995 the practice of visiting home dialysis patients was challenged. In order to justify this practice, a benchmarking approach was adopted comprising a literature search, surveys of all relevant patients and their primary health carers, as well as all dialysis units in Australia. The results favoured the home visits and facilitated the establishment of a baseline standard of one home visit at least every 6 months. This standard was audited and reviewed annually. In 1996, Queensland Health launched the Renal Home Support Scheme which was targeted at improving the delivery of health care in the home, leading to efficiencies in the delivery of care to specific groups within the community such as the indigenous population. Successful submissions had to identify objectives, strategies and performance indicators that demonstrated the likelihood of success. The Renal Unit at Townsville General Hospital successfully tendered a submission to Queensland Health and the scheme was implemented in November 1996.