In June 2004, over 100 participants attended a series of focus groups held at various locations in Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney (additional consumer focus groups will be held in Hobart and Brisbane in November/December 2004). The purpose of these meetings was to provide stakeholders with information about the framework and to obtain feedback to help develop and implement the framework.

Following a presentation and general discussion about the framework participants were asked to complete a questionnaire asking them to rate their level of understanding and the relevance of the learning areas and topics, to identify any gaps and to provide comments.

Four participants completed the consumer questionnaire and 82 participants completed the health care worker/organisational representative questionnaire. The latter were drawn from a range of health care positions across the four categories identified in the framework. They included catering officers and office staff, nurses, nurse managers, directors of clinical services, medical administrators, regional medical directors and heads of specialist colleges. Additional consumer focus groups will be held later in the year to ensure consumers have a say in the development of the framework.

The responses to the questionnaire indicate that the focus group participants had a high level of understanding of the framework after the presentation. They also rated the relevance of the learning categories and topics highly (with a mean rating of 4 out of 5).

Some of the general comments that were made are as follows:

I thought it was an excellent presentation, closely linked to my projects: adverse events, clinical audits and quality improvement projects. Thank you.

 

Very helpful tool. Great to know that it is available on the web. Excellent resource.

 

A complex and comprehensive framework and concept. I am strongly in favour of the arrangement of ‘categories’ and the concept of each individual having a role and responsibility.

 

Interaction with the registration boards of all professions and schools is important.

 

Benefits [of training in patient safety] need to be clearly set out given time pressures on doctors etc.

In summary the data obtained indicates support for the content and structure of the framework and the relevance of each of the Learning Areas and associated Learning Topics from the consumers and members of the health care professions involved in the focus groups.