QUALIMED-Skills for Quality in Healthcare at European Level

This project is a Leonardo da Vinci project for transfer of innovation. It was launched in February 2013 in Satu Mare, Romania and will end in December 2014.

Updating the EOQ requirements

The course has to fulfil the competency specification of the European Organization for Quality (EOQ), wherein the EOQ requirements are updated by Quality Austria simultaneously in the course of the project. The way of implementing the EOQ requirements in the respective partner countries was identified and compared, the existing data analysed, new standards (EN 15224), considered previously determined need for training and quality assurance in health care trends in the partner countries were considered. Right now the second draft of the EOQ competence specification and the associated certification scheme lays at the National Representatives and the General Assembly of the EOQ for review. End of February 2014, the final draft will be published for public comments on the EOQ webpage and is expected to be approved during the EOQ meeting in June 2014.

Training of future trainers/ examiners for the newly developed course

Within the project, Romanian trainers and examiners are qualified. For this reason, a training session for the Romanian colleagues through Quality Austria took place in May of this year, based on a previous taken training needs analysis. 11 Romanian experts in public health from the north of Romania (Satu Mare) and the Bucharest region have been trained in Vienna for one week by a qualityaustria expert and inspiring knowledge and experience exchange took place. A highlight for the participants was the visit of the General Hospital in Vienna with a presentation by Mr. Univ. Prof. Dr. med. Reinhard Krepler- director of the company General Hospital and medical director of Directorate- and a tour through the hospital accompanied by the company VAMED.

Development of the Romanian training course "System Manager Quality in Health Care"

Further step in the project is the innovation transfer to Romania, based on a feasibility analysis to identify possible risks and chances and resolve potential problems. Quality Austria supports the feasibility study and the development of the curriculum, the training content and methods. The updated EOQ requirements will be adapted to the Romanian system for vocational education and training.

Pilot training

Mid-2014, the newly developed training course will be implemented in a pilot training through the Romanian trainers and examiners, who have been qualified before in the course of the project.

Conclusion

This project supports the development of a European framework for safe, high quality and efficient health services. It thus supports the implementation of health policy at EU level and the strategies of the European Union in healthcare to support dynamic health systems and new technologies, listed in the White Paper of the European Commission "Together for Health: A European strategic approach for 2008-2013”. In addition to the high level of training of personnel directly involved in the provision of medical services, a good management of health systems must be secured. Quality management in health care is essential in order to better respond to the needs of citizens and patients.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.