Final Conference

In light of great advances in the assessment and improvement of quality of care, policymakers, healthcare providers and researchers are keen to evaluate the effectiveness of various quality improvement governance approaches, particularly at the hospital level.

The DUQuE project, led by a consortium of prestigious research centres and universities in the field of health care quality in Europe, provides promising theoretical insights and evidence-based toolkits related to improving the effectiveness of quality improvement systems in hospitals.

Using data from 188 hospitals from seven European countries (Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Turkey), the four year multi-method project assessed the relationship of various quality improvement governance approaches with quality indicators of hospital care (specifically clinical effectiveness, patient safety and patient reported outcomes).

The Berlin conference presented on 17 December 2012 DUQuE’s main findings and provided a friendly, open forum for the discussion of the results. Evidence-based guidance documents, practical toolkits and appraisal schemes for hospital managers, purchasing agencies and governments interested in the development and assessment of hospital quality improvement systems were also presented. The day started with Quality and patient safety improvement in Germany presented by Günther Jonitz, Berlin Chamber of Physicians, followed by Quality and patient safety strategies in Europe by Agnieszka Daval-Cichon, European Commission DG SANCO.

The first session was then devoted to “Conceptual framework and objectives of the DUQuE study” presented by Rosa Suñol, Autonomous University of Barcelona and leader of the project, while Cordula Wagner, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research focused on “Hospital quality management systems: state of the art and development of a measurement tool”.

The second session “Making it happen: Practical, logistical, ethical and others challenges in assessing hospital quality management systems in European countries” was an opportunity for Barbara Kutryba, European Society for Quality in Health Care and Frantisek Vlcek, Czech Accreditation Committee, to give their feedback.

The third session focused first on “How are the hospital cultures related to hospital quality management systems?” (Solvejg Kristensen, RM Department of Clinical Quality and Patient Safety, Central Denmark Region), to then consider “What is the impact of quality management systems on patient level outcomes?” (Rosa Suñol) and finally “Results of sensitivity analysis of the findings” (Onyebuchi Arah, University of California, Los Angeles; Caroline Thompson, University of California, Los Angeles).

With the fourth session Oliver Groene, London School of Hygiene, presented the DUQuE Appraisal tool.

In line with its aim to closely link the project with stakeholders, a panel discussion highlighted the next steps: Pascal Garel, European Hospital and Healthcare Federation; Jennifer Bremner, European Health Management Association; Valentina Hafner, WHO Regional Office - Europe; Nicola Bedlington, European Patients’ Forum; Ales Bourek, European Society for Quality in Healthcare; Niek Klazinga, Department of Social Medicine, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam; Piotr Mierzewski, Health Division, Council of Europe.

Please click here to download the programme of the final conference

Photos

 

Speakers

Opening, Holger Pfaff, University of Cologne

Quality and patient safety improvement in Germany - Günther Jonitz, Berlin Chamber of Physicians

Quality and patient safety strategies in Europe - Agnieszka Daval-Cichon, European Commission DG SANCO

Conceptual framework and objectives of the DUQuE study/What is the impact of quality management systems on patient level outcomes? - Rosa Sunol, Autonomous University of Barcelona

Hospital quality management systems: state of the art and development of a measurement tool - Cordula Wagner, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research

Discussion - Ales Bourek, European Society for Quality in Healthcare

Making it happen: Practical, logistical, ethical and others challenges in assessing hospital quality management systems in European countries Basia Kutryba, European Society for Quality in Health Care; Frantisek Vlcek, Czech Accreditation Committee

How are the hospital cultures related to hospital quality management systems? - Solvejg Kristensen, RM Department of Clinical Quality and Patient Safety, Central Denmark Region

Results of sensitivity analysis of the findings - Onyebuchi Arah, University of California, Los Angeles; Caroline Thompson, University of California, Los Angeles

What guidance to hospitals and purchasers? The DUQuE Appraisal tool - Oliver Groene, London School of Hygiene

Discussion - Reinhard Busse, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

Panel discussion: next steps
Pascal Garel, European Hospital and Healthcare Federaton; Jennifer Bremner, European Health Management Association; Valentina Hafner, WHO Regional Office - EUROPE; Nicola Bedlington, European Patients' Forum; Ales Bourek, European Society for Quality in Healthcare; Niek Klazinga, Department of Social Medicine, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam; Piotr Mierzewski, Health Division, Council of Europe

Other pictures from the conference

© CHLietzmann

 

Audio recordings

The audio recordings from the final conference are available from the links below:

 

Opening, Holger Pfaff, University of Cologne

Quality and patient safety improvement in Germany, Günther Jonitz, Berlin Chamber of Physicians

Quality and patient safety strategies in Europe - Agnieszka Daval-Cichon, European Commission DG SANCO

Session 1

Conceptual framework and objectives of the DUQuE study, Rosa Sunol, Autonomous University of Barcelona

Hospital quality management systems: state of the art and development of a measurement tool, Cordula Wagner, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research

Discussion, Ales Bourek, European Society for Quality in Healthcare

Session 2

Making it happen: Practical, logistical, ethical and others challenges in assessing hospital quality management systems in European countries, Part 1 - Basia Kutryba, European Society for Quality in Health Care, Part 2 - Frantisek Vlcek, Czech Accreditation Committee

How are the hospital cultures related to hospital quality management systems?, Solvejg Kristensen, RM Department of Clinical Quality and Patient Safety, Central Denmark Region

Session 3

What is the impact of quality management systems on patient level outcomes?, Rosa Sunol, Autonomous University of Barcelona

Results of sensitivity analysis of the findings, Part 1 - Onyebuchi Arah, University of California, Los Angeles, Part 2 - Caroline Thompson, University of California, Los Angeles

Session 4

What guidance to hospitals and purchasers? The DUQuE Appraisal tool, Oliver Groene, London School of Hygiene