Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research

The Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research (QPS) focuses on quality of care and patient safety.

Established in 2009 as a leading strategic research centre, QPS integrates public and private health services with one of Australia’s largest Schools of Nursing and Midwifery. Our partners govern 30 acute and subacute care hospitals and 12 residential aged care facilities, employ approximately 30,000 nurses and midwives, and provide care for in excess of 3 million Victorians annually. Our research pillars of patient safety, patient experience, and health workforce span the whole patient journey, and encompass residential, community, subacute and acute care settings.

Annual reports

• 2021 annual report
• 2020 annual report
• 2019 annual report
• 2018 annual report
• 2017 annual report

A founding member of the Institute for Health Transformation and based in Deakin University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery in the Faculty of Health, QPS is a pioneering academic-industry partnership, embedding Chairs in Nursing and Midwifery within six major Victorian health services.

The first partnership collaboration between Deakin’s School of Nursing and Epworth Hospital, Richmond was established in 1996 with the appointment of a Clinical Chair in Nursing. Since then 5 other health services have joined the partnership collaboration, forming an innovative academic-industry partnership network.

Directors

Co-Director and Chair in Nursing, Barwon Health
Alfred Deakin Professor Alison Hutchinson

Co-Director and Chair in Nursing, Alfred Health
Alfred Deakin Professor Tracey Bucknall

Members

The QPS partnership network is the first fully coordinated collaboration of its kind in Australia. The goal of this innovative network is to facilitate applied multidisciplinary and multi-site research.

Improving patient care

Our research is based on improving patient care and meeting the needs of healthcare organisations. We do this through our rigorous programs of research and clinical education relationships.

Our partnerships are committed to developing a strong interface between research, education and practice. They have a direct impact on the quality of patient care, as well as building capacity in the health workforce.

Partnering with six major health services

The partnership network is a unique and fully integrated model. It connects QPS and Deakin’s School of Nursing and Midwifery to six major health services in the public and private sector in metropolitan and regional areas of Victoria.

Each partner organisation has joint appointments with the School of Nursing and Midwifery, all with a Professor in Nursing and other joint appointments, including associate professors, senior research fellows, research fellows, and research assistants. Our Western Health partnership also has a jointly appointed Chair in Midwifery and researchers. These joint positions ensure curricula are evidence-based and the research is specific to the health care needs of the community.