Practice Incentive Program (PIP) Quality Improvement (QI)

Practice Incentive Payment (PIP) and Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) response to COVID-19 to support general practice

In recognition that general practices, Aboriginal Medical Services and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations across the nation have been impacted by COVID-19, the Department of Health and Services Australia have undertaken work to implement a number of temporary measures under the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) and Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) to help ensure business continuity.

These measures are designed to make it easier for practices to continue to manage the impact of COVID-19 and to continue providing quality care to their communities - further information click here.


PIP QI Incentive

The Practice Incentives Program (PIP) Quality Improvement (QI) Incentive started on 1 August. Accredited practices may be eligible to receive a maximum payment of up to $12,500 per quarter, based on $5.00 per Standard Whole Patient Equivalent (SWPE) per year, for meeting each of the following eligibility requirements:

To understand the PIP QI requirements and PIP data governance arrangements, we strongly recommend that you refer to the following documents on the Australian Department of Health website:

  • PIP QI Guidelines
  • Improvement Measures
  • PIP Eligible Data Set Governance Framework
  • PIP QI Who do I ask
  • PIP QI FAQs.

As part of the PIP QI, practices are required to inform EMPHN of their registration and PIP Practice Identifier. Please complete the PIP QI form to notify us of this information and assist us to understand your readiness for the PIP QI.

If you do not currently have a preferred data extraction tool, EMPHN can provide you with our existing data extraction tool (POLAR). To discuss your eligibility for POLAR contact polar@emphn.org.au

Exemption

General practices which are currently submitting de-identified data to EMPHN through POLAR are meeting their PIP QI data submission requirements.

To receive the incentive payments, general practices that cannot exchange data with EMPHN because they do not currently have compatible software or do not want to use the software offered by EMPHN, may apply to the Department of Health for a time-limited exemption of the data sharing eligibility requirements.

If your practice is going to apply for a time limited exemption for the PIP QI, please see the attached Fact Sheet and Exemption Application Form. Completed forms are to be sent to polar@emphn.org.au to be signed by an EMPHN representative before being returned to the practice for submission to the Department of Health.

The Department of Health will communicate with practices directly, and notify EMPHN if an exemption is granted. The exemption will be for 12 months or until a solution is available for practices to submit the PIP Eligible Data Set to EMPHN, whichever occurs first.

PHNs are working with the Department of Health on a solution for securely receiving and storing data from general practices that cannot currently exchange data with their local PHN.

General practices that apply for an exemption with the Department of Health should ensure that they meet other requirements of the PIP QI Incentive:

1) register for the PIP QI Incentive via your PRODA account – link

2) contact EMPHN to notify us of your PIP QI registration and PIP ID – polar@emphn.org.au

3) undertake quality improvement activities based on areas which are informed by your clinical information system data and meets the needs of your practice population

4) retain practice documentation of the quality improvement activities for six years in case you are selected for an audit.

To support general practices to implement self-driven quality improvement activities to meet the requirements of the PIP QI, EMPHN is offering Quality Improvement Learning Modules.

Further information about the PIP QI Incentive can be found on the Department of Health website.

Contact Us

POLAR Support

Email: polar@emphn.org.au

Quality Improvement Support

Email: quality@emphn.org.au

Practice Support

Email: practicesupport@emphn.org.au