About AROC
What is AROC?
The Australasian Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre (AROC) is
a joint initiative of the Australian rehabilitation sector
(providers, funders, regulators and consumers). It commenced
operation on 1 July, 2002. With the support of its industry
partners, AROC has been established by the Australasian
Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFRM) of the Royal
Australasian College of Physicians (RACP). A business plan
for AROC to run as a not-for-profit self-funding organisation
was developed by an AROC Planning Group, consisting of representatives
from across the sector.
What does AROC do?
The purpose and aims of AROC were established as, and continue
to be:
- Develop a national benchmarking system to improve clinical
rehabilitation outcomes in both the public and private sectors.
- Produce information on the efficacy of interventions
through the systematic collection of outcomes information
in both the inpatient and ambulatory settings.
- Develop clinical and management information reports based
on functional outcomes, impairment groupings and other relevant
variables that meet the needs of providers, payers, consumers,
the States/Commonwealth and other stakeholders in both the
public and private rehabilitation sectors.
- Provide and coordinate ongoing education, training and
certification in the use of the FIM and other outcome measures.
- Provide annual reports that summarise the Australasian
data.
- Develop research proposals to refine the selected outcome
measures over time.
How is AROC governed?
AROC has its own Management
Advisory Group consisting of representatives from across
the sector. A Scientific
and Clinical Advisory Committee was established to advise
AROC on clinical and scientific issues. Stakeholders can have
a direct say in the ongoing development of the Centre through
their representatives on these committees.
The AFRM is the
data custodian of the AROC data set. The AFRM has appointed the Centre
for Health Service Development (CHSD) at the University
of Wollongong to manage the AROC data set on its behalf and
to undertake the day to day management of AROC.
How is AROC funded?
AROC was established with funding from seven foundation
members. These foundation members contributed funds during
AROC's establishment phase. AROC is currently funded by a
combination of a Subscription model and a User Pays model.
Members of AROC pay an annual subscription fee for which they
recieve a number of core services. AROC also provides additional
services on a User Pays basis.
Who is the AROC data custodian?
The AFRM has established AROC and is the data custodian of
the AROC data set. As the data
custodian, the AFRM has the role of appointing a data manager
and ensuring that the data set is appropriately managed. A
representative of the AFRM chairs the AROC Management
Advisory Group and members of the AFRM also contribute
their clinical and scientific expertise.
Who is the AROC data Manager?
The AFRM
has appointed the Centre for Health Service Development
(CHSD) at the University
of Wollongong to manage the AROC data set on its behalf
and to undertake the day to day management of AROC. A CHSD
representative sits on the AROC
Management Advisory Group in its data manager capacity.
As a legal entity, the University of Wollongong (UoW) is providing
infrastructure and corporate support services. Through the
CHSD, AROC has access to the University's Ethics Committee.
Who are the AROC foundation members?
AROC commenced operation with seven foundation members. Each
foundation member has appointed its own representative to
the AROC Management Advisory
Group. The seven foundation members are:
Who are
the current AROC members?
Since establishment, the majority of rehabilitation units
in Australia (public and private) have joined AROC. In addition,
each state and territory jurisdiction has joined, as have
a number of other interested stakeholders. The current AROC
membership list is available here.
What does AROC provide
for members?
Rehabilitation units who are members of AROC submit a prescribed
data set, the AROC dataset, against
each and every episode of rehabilitation they provide.
AROC recieves this data, collates and analyses it, and provides
twice yearly reports to submitting hospitals, payers, and other
interested stakeholders. Sample reports can be viewed here.
A new format of these reports was implemented in 2006.
How does AROC link into the broader
health system?
AROC collects and reports on data from the specialist medical
rehabilitation sector. This is an important role in its own
right. However, rehabilitation is typically provided as part
of a broader episode that may include primary, acute and home
and community care. A longer term objective of AROC is to
work with the relevant data management organisations to assess
the feasibility of expanding the collection, or linking it
to others, in order to measure and understand the role of
rehabilitation within the broader health and community care
systems. This is a complicated issue and will realistically
take time to be addressed.
How can I become a member
of AROC?
A completed application for membership can be mailed to:
AROC
Building 29
University of Wollongong NSW 2522
AROC can also be contacted by:
Email: aroc@uow.edu.au
Phone: (02) 4221 4411
Fax: (02) 4221 4679
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