Building the knowledge base (and the business case) for quality improvement in public health: Local health departments in 16 states put theory into practice

With the incorporation of the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) in May, 2007, the realization of a national accreditation program for local and state health departments is just on the horizon. The Final Recommendations for a National Voluntary Accreditation Program for State and Local Public Health Departments advocate for a program that is strongly rooted in quality improvement, that “promote[s] the pursuit of excellence, continuous quality improvement, and accountability for the public's health.” However, while there is information and experience to guide quality improvement (QI) work in medical settings, there is little knowledge pertaining to the implementation of QI techniques in public health.

Local and state health departments and other partners within sixteen states are paving the way to build the evidence base for QI in public health through a national initiative entitled “Lead State in Public Health Quality Improvement,” a multi-state learning collaborative (MLC), funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and managed by the National Network of Public Health Institutes. In 2007, over fifty local health departments applied QI techniques to make improvements on locally-identified priorities. The next phase of the project will involve testing the application of QI efforts on specific target areas related to a) capacity – such as health improvement planning and assuring a competent workforce, and b) health outcomes – such as reducing infant mortality and the incidence of vaccine preventable disease. The innovative work being undertaken by the partners in this project will inform the nation as we move forward with the development of an accreditation program for local and state health departments that is rooted in quality improvement principles.

The lead presenter along with representatives from participant states will describe the lessons learned from applying quality improvement techniques in public health settings and the participatory process used to select the target areas. The presenter will also engage the audience in a discussion regarding the application of quality improvement in public health.