Addressing the worst syphilis outbreak in 30 years.

Following feedback obtained during a field trip to remote clinics across the Kimberley in October 2016 by two of us (KC and JW), we recognised that a better picture of organisational factors influencing syphilis testing performance in primary health care (PHC) was needed so that service managers and policy makers would know what role they could play in order to contribute to the public health management of the syphilis outbreak in northern Australia.

In response, we invested in this specific service-research collaboration to use a large data set available through the Audit and Best Practice for Chronic Disease National Research Partnership (ABCD NRP) previously submitted by primary health care (PHC) clinics participating in the ABCD program.

Written for service managers and policy makers, this report presents findings from quantitative analyses to investigate organizational factors associated with better performance at clinic level of syphilis testing. With the generous permission of the Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) in Integrated Quality Improvement through Prof Ross Bailie, this final report is being made available as a priority to:

• Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (AHCWA)
• Kimberley Population Health Unit Syphilis Outbreak Response Taskforce (SORT)
• Multijurisdictional Syphilis Outbreak Working Group (MJSO)
• Working Group on Sexual Health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities Working Group (Royal Australasian College of Physicians Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine)(RACP AChSHM)
• Sexual Health SubCommittee, Kimberley Aboriginal Health Planning Forum (KAHPF)
• Population Health Leadership Team (PHLT), WA Country Health Services (WACHS)

We acknowledge CRE support and assistance in preparing this report. This report complies with the NRP ‘Research Approval and Publication Policy and Procedures’ and confidentiality and privacy conditions in ethics committee approvals. Data have not been reported in any form that makes it possible to link individual-level information to individuals. Data have also not been reported in any form where it is reasonably possible to identify participating health centres or clinics. Additional presentations to managers and policy makers at key forums are planned to facilitate discussion about organisational factors significantly enabling better performance by clinicians. A manuscript will be prepared separately for submission to a health services research journal.

Feedback on this report will be gratefully received. To do so, please contact Professor Jeanette Ward (e.Jeanette.Ward@health.wa.gov.au or Jeanette.Ward@nd.edu.au)