Evidence, quality and standards

Recognising standards and quality requirements 

Allied health professionals are required to comply with certain standards and work within evidence-based frameworks.

Policy and planning 

Some allied health professionals may be involved in palliative care policy and planning (at the service local or national level) as part of their broader role. The aim of policy is to provide a framework for the direction of care at all levels – organisational, state and national.

Quality 

Quality, in relation to care provision, is viewed as crucial in palliative care as in other areas. Allied health professionals may be involved in activities such as quality improvement and auditing, or quality assurance. There is a national palliative care outcomes program, Palliative Care Outcome Collaborative (PCOC).

Standards 

Standards for providing palliative care inform quality care for all Australians at the end-of-life. Palliative Care Self Assessment (PaCSA) provides services with an online portal to self-assess against the National Palliative Care Standards (5th ed.), mapped against the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (2nd ed.), resulting in a quality improvement action plan.