‘Most important is understanding primary care in the context of the whole health system.’ The data-use aspirations of primary care leaders in Australia: a qualitative study

This study demonstrates that although primary care leaders aspire to a whole-system approach to data use, significant barriers remain. A key misalignment persists between the primary function of data collection for clinical and administrative purposes and its secondary application for quality improvement. Despite progress in national data linkage and harmonisation initiatives, the limited time and technical knowledge available to frontline practitioners continue to constrain practice-level engagement in data-driven improvement. Opportunities exist to strengthen the links between practices and their local Primary Health Networks and Practice Based Research Networks to facilitate capacity building in this area.