December 11, 2003 - Tokyo, Japan.- The Central American countries have existing basic infrastructure for basic health services. At the same time, however, within the decentralization process, a reduction in costs, the improvement of treatment quality, and the accessibility of services is required. The traditional idea of quality signifies an increased dependence on technology, which for some countries, is an investment they cannot make. The actual concept of quality in health services refers to patient needs and an improvement of a process that has as its end goal to obtain results, as can be seen in the successful experience of Japanese industries. The collective methods for an organization's quality management or systems is known as KAIZEN, or Total Quality Management (TQM).

Within this context, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with Tohoku University based in Tohoku, Japan develope the course, "Training of Trainers for Quality Improvement of Local Health Services", in order to respond to this local need in Central America, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.

The objective of this course is to develop future trainers in Evidence-based Participatory Quality Improvement (EPQI) in the Central American countries, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, where their Ministries of Health have committed to locally promoting EPQI, which forms part of the global idea of TQM/DHS. These ideas have been successfully adopted in the improvement of quality in services by quality teams in work-places and organizations. The concept of EPQI is characterized by the search for quality with a patient focus, an improvement in process with an emphasis on the system and oriented towards obtaining results, and continuous improvement based on data. Participants will become familiar with EPQI instruments which will help to signal ideas and mobilize sinergetic efforts of health and management personnel who have direct contact with patients. With practice, a quality culture will be disseminated throughout the system. Finally, this training course will introduce the quality culture into health services.

Participants will be developed and trained to become trainers and instructors. The instructors will then go on to serve as local planners and trainers for the local delivery of the course. The courses are conducted in order to create a critical mass of facilitators throughout the country. The facilitators are trained to understand the cycle of Planning - Doing - Studying and Acting (PDSA - Plan Do Study Act) and the steps in the method for quality improvement (QI) so they may facilitate the identification of problems or areas of opportunity in their workplace and independently identify and define solutions.

At the end of course the participants will understand:
1. Concept of Quality in Health and Quality Management Services.
2. Statistical Quality Control (Quality administration based on results/evidence).
3. Approach to 7 Steps to EPQI problem solving.
4. Initiatives for Quality Improvement WHO, PAHO, Japan, and Asian countries.
5. How to teach and facilitate the continuous improvement steps to work personnel?
6. Observation mission: National Forum for Quality Improvement in Health Services in Japan.
7. Statworks (software): A convenient tool for understanding the steps to quality improvement.
8. How to introduce and locally strengthen EPQI?

The upcoming videoconferencias for the course will be offered on 02/24/2004 y 03/22/2004.

For additional information regarding this activity or to learn of future programs to be offered by GDLN in Health related topics, please contact Carmen Carpio (ccarpio@worldbank.org).