Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105930

Maj-Britt Dohlie, MA, The ACQUIRE Project, EngenderHealth, 440 Ninth Avenue, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10001, 212-561-8531, lbernal@engenderhealth.org

Background: Health sector reform (HSR) including new demands on managers presents challenges. In Ethiopia introduction of Quality Improvement (QI) tools and approaches help managers cope with new demands and build capacity to motivate and support desired staff performance, which is essential to meet clients' needs and increase access to quality services.

Study design: Action plan review and 54 interviews with supervisors and staff to assess use of QI approaches and tools in 11 of 72 facilities.

Findings: -All facilities, including those that recently introduced QI, solved facility-level problems and improved considerably. Some were able to make interventions requiring external resources. Many are developing proposals or requesting future budget allocations. -Two facilities are now considered “model hospital” by external supervisors. -Almost unanimous agreement exists that QI approaches are useful in supporting HSR. -Improvements found in all departments, including FP clinics and maternity services, shedding light on other program reviews that indicate clear upward trend in use of long-term and permanent contraceptive methods in areas where EngenderHealth has supported QI and FP interventions.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session the participant (learner)in this session will be able to

• Describe characteristics of useful QI approaches/tools
• Identify own program opportunities to use QI approaches/tools
• Describe possible programmatic interventions
• Describe effective process used in Ethiopia for creating "buy-in" of manager for use of QI approaches/tools

Keywords: Health Reform, Quality Improvement

Related Web page: www.engenderhealth.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.