5132.0: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 - 1:00 PM

Abstract #4088

Strengthening health care administration team capacity to manage continuous quality improvement

Ricardo Dios, MD, MHA, Eva Miranda, MPH, and Gabriela Samillán, MPH. Project 2000, Pathfinder International, 9 Galen Street, Suite 217, Watertown, MA 02472, 617-924-7200, rmorgan@pathfind.org

Project 2000, a collaboration between the Peruvian Ministry of Health and USAID, aims to close the healthcare gaps that contribute to maternal and perinatal deaths in 12 regions of Peru. To achieve this goal, Project 2000 is implementing Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) programs in maternal and child health services in 88 health establishments using a specially designed training program called PCMI.

For the past two years Project 2000 has provided technical assistance to hospitals and health centers in implementing CQI programs. Project 2000 also provides training center certification to facilities that have met five pre-established criteria for quality of care.

The PCMI has helped local hospital and health center teams better understand their role in the delivery of services. Local hospitals and health center teams are dependent upon the next level up in the MOH structure, the regional directorates, for supervision, clinical guidelines provision, logistics support, and technical assistance. Unfortunately, these regional directorate teams continue to view their support in a nonparticipative and bureaucratic way, a trend already noted by the service delivery sites themselves.

To strengthen the regional directorate teams ability to support the service delivery sites in their CQI efforts, Project 2000 has developed a strategy made up of three components: 1) orientation about what has to be done, 2) ability to do what has to be done, and 3) effective team work.

This report analyzes the strategy used, its components, the reaction of the regional teams, and the perception of local facilities’ teams regarding the changes in the regional teams’ approach.

Learning Objectives: 1. Identify the adjustments that have to be made in a bureaucratic structure to ensure CQI processes. 2. Explain the rationale for including all three components in the proposed intervention strategy

Keywords: Quality Improvement,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA