Developing evidence-based standards

Developing evidence-based standards

The Standards are based on the best available evidence of how general practices can provide safe and high-quality healthcare to their patients.

When developing the Standards, the College has drawn on the following sources:

• A comprehensive literature review of current evidence
• Level IV evidence (where studies are not available), otherwise known as evidence from a panel of experts. To ensure that this Level IV evidence is as robust as possible, the Standards have been:
  • tested by Australian general practices and consumers
  • overseen by an expert committee consisting of GPs, academic GPs, nurses, practice managers, and consumer representatives
• The Quintuple Aim for healthcare improvement⁽¹⁾
• The International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) Guidelines and principles for the development of health and social care standards (6th edition)
• The Department of Health and Aged Care Accreditation arrangements review (2021) and Gap Analysis of barriers to general practice accreditation (2024)
• Feedback from the general practice profession, gained from consultation and piloting of the Standards.