The HACC Program is supported by funding from the Commonwealth & Victorian Governments.

The EMR Active Service Model Alliance has been created to support the implementation of the ASM across Melbourne's Eastern Metropolitan Region (EMR).

The ASM Alliance promotes strong partnerships and brings together the expertise, knowledge and experience of individuals and agencies from right across the region.

The ASM Alliance has evolved from the EMR Assessment Alliance - the name change reflective of the transition to the ASM approach and the emphasis of the group's work supporting all agencies to embed the ASM principles.

The ASM Alliance's structure encourages the involvement of senior management, program leaders, clinicians and program staff from HACC funded agencies, service delivery partners and key stakeholders in the region.

An Executive Group oversees the strategic direction of the ASM Alliance, ensuring alignment with relevant policy and innovation. Membership of the Executive Group encompasses senior management from Local Government, Community Health Services, Aged and Disability Services, Nursing, Primary Care Partnerships and the Victorian Department of Health.

Two working groups are responsible for putting into operation the ASM Alliance's vision. Outcomes' from work completed by the working groups is made accessible to all EMR HACC funded agencies tasked with implementing the ASM approach.

 Click here for: EMR ASM Alliance Diagram

For more information on the EMR ASM Alliance, including the role of each group, explore the individuals group's Terms of Reference or email: emr.asm.alliance@health.vic.gov.au

Terms of Reference

 Click here for: ASM Executive Group TOR endorsed
 Click here for: ASM Alliance Process and Implementation Work Group TOR
 Click here for: ASM Alliance Project and Research Working Group TOR

Events

The next EMR ASM Alliance meeting will be held on 10th August, 2011. For further details on the meeting email: emr.asm.alliance@health.vic.gov.au

Resources:

Information and resources are constantly being collated and/or developed as part of the ASM Alliances work supporting agencies in their journey embedding the principles of the ASM.

Partnerships

- Links to useful Partnership related tools and resources to help your organisation build, manage, sustain and evaluate your own partnerships.
Click here for: List of Partnership Resources

Evaluation

Evaluation is a critical part of continuous improvement and has been a focus of the EMR ASM Alliance Project and Research Working Group.  Below are a series of resources that have been developed to support organisations set up and complete evaluations.

- Evaluation methodologies for common EMR project themes
Click here for: Common project themes

- Designing an effective evaluation - evaluation methodologies
Click here for: Evaluation methodologies

- Sample staff questionnaire - sample questions that can be used to test staff knowledge, perceptions, confidence and readiness to apply an ASM approach
Click here for: Sample ASM Staff survey

- Links to other useful Evaluation related tools and resources
Click here for: Evaluation resources

E-bulletin

The EMR ASM Alliance e-bulletin is a resource emailed to all Alliance members every 4-6 weeks.  The e-bulletin provides links to useful ASM related information and resources and updates on what's happening around the region in the ASM world, including on what the ASM Alliance Executive and Working Groups have been doing.

Click here for: Edition 1 EMR ASM Alliance e-bulletin Dec 2010 
Click here for: Edition 2 EMR ASM Alliance e-bulletin Feb 2011
Click here for: Edition 3 EMR ASM Alliance e-bulletin March 2011

Presentation

The following presentations were given at recent EMR ASM Alliance Working Group meetings. If you have any questions about the presentations email: emr.asm.alliance@health.vic.gov.au

- Interdisciplinary practice between allied health professionals and HAS assessment staff - a presentation on the findings of interdisciplinary projects completed in the EMR (presented 17/11/10) Click here for: Interdisciplinary projects-presentation 17th November 2010

- Project Evaluation - purpose, types and setting up an evaluation
Click here for: Evaluation Presentation 9 Dec 2010

- Project objectives - writing and evaluating project objectives
Click here for: ASM Project & Research WG Objectives Review Feb 2011

- Change Management - including the components and planning for and managing change
Click here for: ASM Change Management

- Partnership Development - practical strategies for building effective partnerships
Click here for: ASM Partnership Presentation

Further useful resources will continually be added to this website - so keep and eye out.

If you have any ideas about resources your organisation would find useful or have any comments on anything on this ASM Alliance website please email: emr.asm.alliance@health.vic.gov.au  

Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) - A model for improvement

The Plan, Do, Study, Act (or Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle is a continuous improvement model designed to help test a change on a small scale.  The model provides a simple process that organisations can utilise to self-assess their current performance and identify areas for improvement.

The model has two parts:

1. Three fundamental questions, which can be addressed in any order (see below); and
2. The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle - used to test and implement changes in real world settings.  The PDSA cycle guides the test of a change to determine if the change is an improvement.

Problem solving tools - such as the brainstorming, fish bone and 5-whys methods - relate to the pre-planning component that takes place prior to delving into the PDSA cycle.  It is at this stage that practitioners ask the three following questions and use the problem solving tools to assist them:

1. What are we trying to accomplish?
2. How will we know that a change is an improvement?
3. What changes can we make that will result in improvement?

These questions need to be explored prior to moving in the PDSA (Plan Do Study Act) cycle.

The following resources are useful starting points to understand and explore the PDSA model further:

- Continuous Improvement Framework 2009: A resource of the Victorian Service Coordination Practice Manual:
Click here for: PDSA CIF Service Coordination Framework Manual

- Strengthening assessment and care planning: workbook (pages 3-4):
Click here for: Practice Guide Workbook

- Improvement methods (Institute for Healthcare Improvement)
www.ihi.org/IHI/Topics/Improvement/ImprovementMethods/HowToImprove/ 

- The PDSA Model for Improvement Project
www.health.vic.gov.au/pch/gpp/pdsa.htm