What counts as QI for CPD, how it differs from a one-off audit, and how to scope an activity that one GP and a practice manager can run.
Last reviewed: July 2026. Part of the complete CPD and QI FAQ.
Quality improvement (QI) is any structured, iterative change to clinical or practice systems that you measure against an aim. PDSA cycles, clinical audits, significant event analyses, population health reviews, prescribing pattern reviews and care plan reviews are all QI.
An audit compares practice against a standard at a point in time. A QI activity is iterative: you test a change, measure the result, and adjust. Most clinical audits become QI when you act on the finding and re-measure.
Yes. The two programs are separate (CPD is the MBA obligation; PIP QI is the Practice Incentives Program payment), but the same QI work can satisfy both. A PDSA on HbA1c review frequency, for example, generates CPD hours for the GP and contributes to the practice's PIP QI data submission.
Pick one measurable problem in your patient population, write a specific aim, define one change and run a short measurement cycle (one to four weeks is the norm). The activity is feasible if one GP and a practice manager can run it; it is meaningful if the result changes care for an identifiable patient group.
Browse all CPD and QI answers · Run a PDSA cycle with a guide
CPD requirements, hour allocations and category structures are set by the MBA, RACGP and ACRRM. The PIP QI measures and payment rates are set by the Department of Health and Aged Care and Services Australia. Always verify current requirements directly with the relevant body before finalising your CPD plan. This page is general guidance and does not replace official college or government resources.