 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Mary Beth Powers, MPH1, Naramaya Limbu1, Adelaida Gallardo, MD, MPH1, Omrana Pasha, MD, MSPH2, and Ronnie Lovich, MPH1. (1) Save the Children, 54 Wilton Road, Westport, CT 06880, 203-221-4230, dnelson@intrah.org, (2) International Programs (Office of Health), Save the Children (USA), 54 Wilton Road, Westport, CT 06880
With the Partnership Defined Quality (PDQ) approach, Save the Children (SC) seeks to directly involve community members in improving quality and increasing use of health care services. SC/Nepal recently conducted an operations research study on PDQ in the Siraha district, where they have been working for more than five years to assist the Ministry of Health in improving its health care facilities. Matching similar sub-areas within the district as study and control sites, SC selected approximately 30 facilities for implementing PDQ. While use of services increased at both study and control sites in some key areas, significant improvements were documented at sites where the PDQ process was ongoing. In addition, SC was able to document significant changes at study sites in such vital components of quality care as patient counseling and sterilization of equipment. There were also indications that marginalized groups were increasing their utilization of services at PDQ study sites; such increases were not recorded at the control sites. The success of the PDQ initiative in terms of both quality and use of services has led to efforts to scale-up the methodology in six new districts.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Quality of Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.