VALUABLE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT METHODS AND TOOLS HELP IMPROVE CARE SERVICES FOR DIABETIC AND HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS.

Public health nursing supervisors and community health nurses from participating facilities in Phase One of the performance-based financing PBF pilot program recently completed a six-month Quality Improvement Training programme which comprised three modules.

The training was facilitated by Health Care Quality Improvement Consultant Eileen Patterson, and provided participants the opportunity to explore quality improvement in healthcare, with a specific focus on screening and treatment for Diabetes and Hypertension. 

Patterson is confident that participants have gained valuable knowledge of the Quality Improvement (QI) methods and tools to assist them with delivering better care to patients at the facilities.

“The participants now have the tools, skills and information to assist in the care of patients with hypertension and diabetes. It is remarkable, the talents and commitments that come into play in using the tools, some of them are new, some of which they have to adapt to. Between the sessions we have been doing over the last six months, people have been bringing these tools to their teams and returning to talk about the successes that they have had and inspiring their colleagues to do the same.”

PBF Programme Coordinator Nahum Jn Baptiste said he is pleased with the training as it introduces the concepts of quality improvement and allows the health facilities to lead on their own Quality Improvement Plan to bring about better patient outcomes. Mr. Jn Baptiste spoke on his expectations from the training.

“The knowledge and skills of the nurses; the people actually implementing the program is improved, that would be the first expectation. The second one is that we looking at quality teams being developed at the different facilities; I think they did receive some training in that regard. The last one is improving the quality programs so that we can see a lot more satisfied clients or better satisfied clients and also as providers know, that we are giving the best possible care to persons with respect to Diabetes and Hypertension now, but in the future as we expand to other services.”

Community Health Nurse at the Jacmel Wellness Centre Francillia Lubrin hailed the knowledge and skills acquired through the Quality Improvement training and looks forward to bringing change to the quality of care provided to patients.

“The experience has been fantastic because we have been learning a lot. Now, we get to understand what PBF is really about, what we need to do at our different wellness centres. We get to share ideas with the different regions and also getting ideas that we don’t have. While sharing our ideas, we got to know what tools we have to use during the PBF program.”

Participants of the Quality Improvement Training are expected to transfer the knowledge to other staff members at their facilities and the participating facilities in Phase two of the PBF Pilot Program.