Quality Improvement mechanisms in health systems strengthening: Where is the evidence?

2015 marks the start of the ‘post-MDG’ era and while the Millennium Development Goals could not reach all their targets, health system strengthening (HSS) is key to all programme interventions in health. It is also increasingly recognized that quality improvement (QI) mechanisms in health care are a determinant of health system strengthening. At a time when the next generation of priorities for global health is being defined, however, it appears that it is crucial to examine the evidence of this impact.

In particular, the 2nd International Quality Forum will specifically discuss how QI mechanisms can contribute to health system strengthening and how this contribution can be best measured. This will be illustrated by four aspects affecting health systems: disease outbreaks – with a focus on Ebola; post-conflict settings; patient safety and, finally, the linkages of QI mechanisms within a facility as well as between levels of health systems.

The aim of the Forum is therefore to critically analyse QI mechanisms and approaches against HSS targets and to formulate recommendations to ensure QI mechanisms have an impact on upcoming health system strengthening measures.

Speakers: Michael Marx • Sylvia Sax • Agnès Leotsakos • Cornelius Oepen • Rashad Massoud • Cyril Pervilhac • Roland Kersten • Irmgard Marx • Maureen Nafula • Charles Shaw • Joachim Szecsenyi • Joost Butenop • Peter Lachman • Ghafur Khodjamurodov

Organised by evaplan GmbH at the University Hospital, Heidelberg, the AQUA Institute, Göttingen, and the Institute of Public Health, University of Heidelberg with the support of GIZ on 2-3 July 2015.