Under the 'A Better Future for Indigenous Australians - Establishing Quality Health Standards (EQHS)' initiative, funding was provided over four years to help eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) to meet best practice and quality care standard.
AHA was engaged by the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Health (OATSIH) to evaluate the EQHS initiative.
EQHS provides a range of support mechanisms to assist organisations to achieve accreditation, including:
- One-on-one expert assistance provided by a specialist accreditation facilitator accessed from a panel of OATSIH Quality Improvement and Accreditation Facilitators;
- Accreditation Support Grants to help organisations to address barriers to accreditation;
- Local Support at the national and jurisdictional level provided by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled peak bodies;
- Access to various training options through the Training and Development Scheme, either short-term courses to support accreditation or longer-term non-clinical training
- Access to various activities provided through the OATSIH National Quality Network.
The evaluation findings detailed in the final report identified:
- The effectiveness, appropriateness and efficiency of the EQHS program and processes in facilitating the accreditation and progress towards accreditation of eligible ACCHOs
- Additional forms of assistance which may be provided to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health service organisations to achieve and maintain accreditation on an ongoing basis
- Ways to promote quality standards in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care sector on an ongoing basis
- Ways to encourage the longer term sustainability of accreditation in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector.