Policy and planning
Some allied health professionals may be involved in palliative care policy and planning (at the service local or national level) as part of their broader role. The aim of policy is to provide a framework for the direction of care at all levels – organisational, state and national.
Quality
Quality, in relation to care provision, is viewed as crucial in palliative care as in other areas. Allied health professionals may be involved in activities such as quality improvement and auditing, or quality assurance.
Standards
Standards for providing palliative care inform quality care for all Australians at the end-of-life. These standards apply to specialist palliative care services and primary care services. The National Standards Assessment Program (NSAP) has been developed to allow services to assess themselves against these national standards. Some allied health professionals will be aware of the standards, and those in specialist palliative care may have some involvement in working towards or completing an NSAP self-assessment.