CAT4 and Clinical Systems Support

The PEN CS CAT Plus software suite includes three practice-based data extraction and decision support tools: CAT4, Topbar and PAT CAT that connect to compatible clinical software: and assist with quality improvement. Practices that have a Data Sharing Agreement with Brisbane South PHN receive free access to these tools, including personalised training.

Click here for an overview of how these tools can assist in quality improvement.

To obtain a Data Sharing Agreement, please contact the Digital Health Team.

CAT4

CAT4 is a clinical audit tool which interrogates data within general practice clinical software and displays the results in graphical and tabular reports.

The extracted data can then be filtered to identify individual and groups of patients or those with specific health risk profiles.

General practices can use the data collected through CAT4 to:

• build targeted registers of patients to support practice recall and reminders
• investigate and identify population health issues that are specific to your own practice
• quickly and easily identify patients who are not meeting clinical targets
• identify key health outcome measures for an individual patient
• identify income potential in areas of chronic disease management
• provide evidence to support quality improvement initiatives as part of accreditation.

Topbar

Topbar prompts administrative and clinical staff to opportunistically capture missing demographic or clinical information at the point of care. It can play a significant role in improving general practice data quality, chronic disease management and eHealth. Topbar is available for practices using Best Practice, MD3 or ZedMed software.

Topbar has has a number of applications that can be tailored to meet the practice needs.

PAT CAT

PAT CAT is a web-based tool that aggregates de-identified general practice data within the Brisbane South region and displays the information through a comprehensive collection of graphs, charts and reports. This allows participating practices to review their data and benchmark against de-identified practices in the Brisbane South PHN region.

PAT CAT has been designed to assist primary care organisations with population health, service planning and reporting.

Practices hold vast amounts of data about their patients and staff in their clinical information systems, documents and in software such as CAT4 and Topbar. It is essential to understand privacy and security regarding data and data access.

BSPHN has developed a range of self-learning modules on CAT4 and Topbar that practice staff can access in their own time to learn more about using these tools. You will need to login in or register for Discover PHN to access these free training materials.

• Privacy and security guidance for general practices

MyPen PORTAL INSTRUCTIONS

Once BSPHN has created a CAT4 account for your practice and you have the software installed, you can add and remove users and levels of access via the link below.

• Creating CAT4/ Topbar users in the MyPen Portal 

Topbar resources

• Topbar Flip Guide
• PenCS Topbar demonstration video
• Topbar Install Guide

CAT4 resources

• CAT4 Guide
• PEN CS CAT4 Modules
• Submitting De-Identified Data via CAT4 for Practix and Genie practices
• Checking for latest CAT 4 version and current data extract
• Managing CAT4 and Topbar users in MyPen
• PEN CS Privacy Poster for General Practice

Benchmark and trend reports (Sharefile)

Practices that hold a Data Sharing Agreement and submit data via the PEN CS CAT 4 tool to Brisbane South PHN receive a monthly Benchmark Report and Trend Report.

Both reports present a snap shot of the practice’s key chronic disease management, data completeness, and health screening measures that are intended to:

• assist in understanding the trends in your patients and their conditions, participation in care and clinical outcomes
• improve data quality
• assist in identifying quality improvement priorities
• improve systems and care provided to patients.

These reports are accessed via a secure Sharefile account for each practice. Instructions to create and use Sharefile are detailed in the links below.

Sharefile access and manage:

• Form for nomination of Benchmark report access & PIP QI details form
• Link to Sharefile
• Sharefile access instructions
• Sample benchmark report
• Sample trend report
• Accompanying data mapping document for BSPHN Practice Benchmark Report V2.1
• Practice Report FAQs

Using CAT4

Creating reports: Inactive patient records

Below are links to short videos outlining how to identify active patients who are missing core information from their record in your Clinical Information System:

• Best Practice 
• Medical Director
• Genie

Data completeness 

Below are links to bulk cleanup of free-text diagnosis instructions

• Best practice
• Medical Director

Below are links to short videos outlining how to identify active patients with no recorded:

• Date of birth
• Gender
• Allergies
• Smoking status
• Alcohol consumption
• BMI
• Duplicate patient records

Chronic disease

Below are links to short videos outlining how to identify active patients:

• At risk of developing chronic disease
• With chronic condition who have not claimed MBS
• Not coded with coronary heart disease
• Not coded with asthma
• Not coded with diabetes
• Diabetes SIP items to be complete
• With a mental health condition who have not claimed MBS

Health promotion 

Below are links to short videos outlining how to identify patients who are eligible for:

• 45-49 year old health check
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health check
• Flu vaccine