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Service Guidelines For Artificial Limb Services
within Australia
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Mission
Accountability
Records
Policies & Procedures
Education and
Research
Quality Activities
Preamble
In a health care environment focussing on quality improvement and accountability,
it is necessary for health programs to pursue challenging and client focussed
activities. To this end, the ALS Managers Forum has adopted and recommends
a series of values which will not only focus the operations of an Artificial
Limb Scheme administration but also contribute to the overall quality of
service delivery to the amputee.
Mission
An ALS shall have a concise and accurate mission statement which is consistent
with client needs, corporate goals and resources
Accountability
An ALS shall be an identifiable entity corporately sponsored and supported
by a recognised health care provider
An ALS shall provide complete and timely reports on its activities and
outputs and costs as appropriate to its sponsoring and supportive bodies.
Where permissible, each ALS should establish an Advisory process with a
balanced and appropriate amputee and professional representation to provide
advice and support to the Service. Additionally, where appropriate,
a separate committee of prosthetic service providers and ALS management
should be established to provide a forum for administrative and operational
matters.
Records
All records must be accessed, utilised, monitored and stored in accordance
with the current Privacy Act.
An ALS shall maintain a current database on its clients which records demographic
data, amputation information, eligibility status and other essential data
for ALS purposes.
An ALS shall maintain a record of current, pending and expired prosthesis
as well as Repairs and supply issues in a manner to allow quality, improvement,
output, outcome and financial measurement. Electronic records are
recommended containing specific component and other informatio to assist
with quality management activities.to aid in product recall as well as
production of significant indicators.
The ALS shall require that its recognised prosthetic service providers
maintain adequate records to meet client prosthetic needs as well as supporting
claims for payment of services rendered.
Policies & Procedures
The ALS shall produce and periodically review a manual which outlines the
policies and procedures of the Service. It should be available to
amputees, prosthetic service providers and health care professionals.
The Manual must minimally provide information to insure consistent and
equitable treatment of all clients, recognition of clinics and prescribing
doctors, and support quality improvement activities.
The ALS should have a written, current and signed agreement with
all of its prosthetic service providers which reflects the conditions governing
the relationship.
Policies of all services around Australia:
Education and Research
An ALS shall strive to provide appropriate relevant information to its
clients, especially at the first instance of contact with the service.
Approved and endorsed information handbooks and brochures are recommended.
An ALS within its resources shall participate and support educational activities
related to its Mission at the local, State and National level.
AN ALS shall participate in bona fide research approved and recognised
by professional bodies whose outcome is beneficial directly or indirectly
to amputees.
Quality Activities
The ALS shall comply to Quality programs relevant to its functions. It
also requires that entities who deal with the ALS should comply to their
relevant recognised quality standards
An ALS shall routinely perform surveys of the recipients of its services.
These surveys may be general or specifically targeted. The results
of such surveys aim to improve the quality of the service by being provided
to relevant bodies.
Sample Client surveys (in .pdf format)
NSW-ALS Client service questionnaire
Client
survey and cover letter
Collects information with regards to the level of client satisfaction
with the NSW-ALS service.
Hunter Prosthetics & Orthotics Service (NSW) Outcome
Rating Scale
Client
form and Relative form.
This separate questionnaires are about the ways in which the prosthesis
may affect the client or their relative’s life. It looks at changes
that may have occurred that are due to having a prosthesis.
W.A.L.S.A. (Western Australian Limb Service for Amputees)
Service
questionnaire
The purpose of this questionnaire is to find out how well this service
is working and how it can be improved.
OPST (Tasmania)
Service
questionnaire
The purpose of this questionnaire is as a service appraisal to determine
future improvements.
An ALS shall strive to provide nationally recognised relevant and reliable
indicators such as service outputs, average costs of services, frequency
of repair, useful life of prosthesis, timeliness of services and other
indicators as required.
Return to ALS Managers Forum Home page.
Further information can be obtained by contacting:
Secretary, ALS Managers' Forum
c/o REHABTechrehab.tech@eng.monash.edu.au
Building 35 Room G19
Clayton Vic 3800 AUSTRALIA
Tel. (IDD +61 3) 9905 3466
Fax. (IDD +61 3) 9905 4069
Copyright & copy; 1998 Monash University - All Rights
Reserved - Disclaimer
Authorised & Maintained by Matthew
Wong, Rehabilitation Engineer
Last updated: 1st August
2003
Disclaimer
This is an organisation personal page published by the REHABTech
on behalf of the Forum for Artificial Limb Service Managers. The ideas
and information expressed on it have not been approved or authorised by
Monash
University either explicitly or impliedly. In no event shall Monash
University be liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from any action
arising in connection with the use of this information or its publication,
including any action for infringement of copyright or defamation.