221.722.81 QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGEMENT METHODS FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Presents the principles and practice of total quality management methods for health systems in developing countries. Emphasizes integrated district-level health systems management; fostering a genuine team approach in the face of an authoritarian tradition; central importance of community governance; interventions performed according to standards and in an equitable fashion; introducing a measurement-based approach to problem solving, emphasizing analysis of service delivery process and outcome; and developing operational research as an integral component of the management system.

In completing this course you will learn the major causes of poor quality in health services in developing countries and how to address these. Some of the specific skills you will acquire include: 1) being able to define what quality means from the standpoint of a variety of stakeholders; 2) using your skills to identify the root cause of quality problems; 3) the ability to apply the problem solving cycle to quality shortfalls identified; 4) the capacity to explain the relationship of costs to quality; and 5) skills in developing a monitoring approach to track the quality of health services.