QMAS: supporting the quality agenda in primary healthcare
Graham King explains the need for, and functions of, the Quality
Management and Analysis System (QMAS), which became operational at the end
of April 2004.
ABSTRACT
In April 2004, the NHS introduced a new contract for general
practitioners that required revision of NHS payments systems to support the
new payment rules and the introduction of a Quality and Outcomes Framework.
In order to support this contract, NHS Connecting for Health has updated
the GP-payment systems and implemented a web-based reporting tool known as
the Quality Management and Analysis System (QMAS) for more than 8,000 GP
practices, 303 primary care organisations, 28 strategic health authorities
and the NHS Bank.
The QMAS collects indicator data submitted from GP clinical systems;
sends it to a secure central repository; and provides PCTs and practices
with access to the information, whenever they wish.
Br J Healthcare Comput Info Manage 2005; 22(6): 20–1 |
