Community members influence on health center services: Quality improvement in rural Albania


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

4270.0: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - Board 2

Abstract #103261

Agim Shehi¹, Zamira Sinoimeri², and Marcel Reyners². (1) Department of Primary Health Care, Ministry of Health, Boulevardi Bajram Curri, 1, Tirana, Albania, +355 4 364 671, agimshehi@hotmail.com, (2) URC, PROShendetit Project, Rr Budi 41/1, Tirana, Albania

Primary health care in rural Albania struggles with a multitude of problems: service providers lack basic training and continuous education; patients by-pass health centers and seek care directly at hospitals; access to services is limited because of absences of providers during afternoon and night time; low use of health facilities; lack of a consistent health insurance system; and frequent out-of-the-pocket payments. The USAID funded ProShendetit (Pro Health) project, working with the Ministry of Health, started quality improvement by introducing a QI tool at the health centers and health posts. From the initial phase, potential clients and community members were asked to participate actively in the process. This paper presents the effect of community members' presence on quality improvement sessions at the health center level. It presents an evaluation of different partners' participation (clients, service providers and their supervisors) on the quality improvement process. The study methods include focus group discussions, client interviews and evaluations of the health centers action plans. Results show in what ways community members may have a positive effect on the quality improvement of health center services in rural Albania.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this section, the participant in this session will be able to

1. recognize the positive effects of community members’ participation at health center quality improvement in Albania
2. identify how to analyze the community members’ effect on the QI process

Keywords: Community Collaboration, Quality Improvement

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.

Health Systems: Addressing Quality, Affordability, and Access

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA