Quality Assurance Management Methods for Developing Countries 



 
 July 3, 2009

 
Course Syllabus

  | Course Description | Course Objectives | Course Materials | Course Format | Course Grades | Contact Information | Help | Questions/clarifications about homework assignments | Course Topics | Acronyms | Ethical Conduct


 

 

Successful completion of this course requires group work throughout the term. The group work is similar to what you would experience working on actual quality assurance projects. Students who are averse to working in teams should make serious consideration before enrolling.


Course Description

Quality Assurance Management Methods for Developing Countries provides a thorough grounding in the principles and practice of quality assurance management for those who have or will have responsibility for health systems in developing countries.

Through informal discussion, exercises to develop competencies in selected quality assurance methods, and a series of case studies, participants will work through a systematic process for closing the gap between what should be accomplished with presently available resources and what actually takes place with health care efforts in most of the developing world.

Comments from Former Students

  • "Actual examples from the field given in the lectures. Assignments were appropriate and gave opportunity to practice principles.”
  • “Provided a great introduction to quality assurance. The exercises were very useful as guidance while going through the storyboard project. The lectures provided not only technical/practical knowledge, but also information on the complexities and ethics—excellent.”
  • “All the assignments were real-life, practical examples that could have taken place in your own country.”
  • “Teamwork and the focus on the basic principles of QA in developing countries were in my opinion the strengths of this course.”

Time Commitment

The most recent student course evaluations indicate the following:

  • 73% of students spent 15 or less hours on the course per week
  • 27% of students spent 16 or more hours

Course Objectives

After completing this course, you should be able to do the following:

  • Promote a basic understanding of the concept, program, and QA philosophy
  • Recognize major challenges to successful implementation of the quality assurance management approach, which is new for health systems in developing countries
  • Explain the importance of a genuine team approach in the face of generally authoritarian tradition
  • Facilitate recognition of the entire community as the “customer” requiring an active participatory approach
  • Introduce measurement-based methods for problem identification and solving with an emphasis on process indicators for rapid feedback and corrective action
  • Develop a familiarity with operational research that serves as an integral part of the management system
  • Design appropriate regulatory mechanisms for QA

Course Materials

Course Reading Packet

The course reading materials are available online via the Online Library.

Optional:

There is a tool discussed in the course called the Memory Jogger.  If you would like to purchase this tool for your own use, you can order it from:

The Memory Jogger
Goal QPC
12B Manor Parkway
Salem, New Hampshire 03079-2862
1-800-643-4316

Course Format

This course consists of short readings, 17 lectures, two group assignments, and one group final project. You will prepare for the final project throughout the course as you complete “project work,” which leads up to the final presentation project. For the two assignments and the final project, you will be assigned to a group by your instructor and notified of your group placement early in the course. You can access all of the required course work from the Course Content page.

Lectures

Lectures are available from the Course Content page. Listen to each lecture as you view the PowerPoint presentations. The lectures are presented sequentially and should be completed in that order. Each of these lectures combines audio presentation and slides—just like attending lectures in class. You may return to any previous section at any point and review its content at your convenience. In each lecture, you will find a listing of the section objectives, links to the lecture materials, and links to available Web resources.

Assignments and Final Presentation Project/Storyboard

Please review the assignment and final presentation schedule (provided below). The Course Content page also presents this information in relation to the other course dates. You'll receive detailed instructions on completing and submitting the assignments and the final presentation at the appropriate time in the course.

 


Course Grades

 

Assignment Points
Assignment 1: Monday and REGI 15
Assignment 2: Uganda Case Study 15
Participation/Attendance (BBS, LiveTalk, Site Visits) 20
Final Presentation Project/Storyboard 50

 

  

Contact Information

Faculty Contacts

Anbarasi Edward, PhD, MPH
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Department of International Health
615 North Wolfe Street, Room E8132
Baltimore, MD 21205
Phone: (410) 955-3928
Fax: (410) 614-1419
Email: aedward@jhsph.edu

Gilbert Burnham, MD, PhD
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Department of International Health
615 North Wolfe Street, Room E8132
Baltimore, MD 21205
Phone: (410) 955-3928
Fax: (410) 614-1419
Email: gburnham@jhsph.edu

Richard Morrow, MD, MPH
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Department of International Health
615 North Wolfe Street, Room E8132
Baltimore, MD 21205
Phone: (410) 955-3928
Fax: (410) 614-1419
Email: rmorrow@jhsph.edu


Teaching Assistant
Christine Chang, MD, MPH
Email: cschang@jhsph.edu 


Help

Concerns
Contact
Concerns about course topics and assignments
Technical concerns about the functionality and operation of course Web pages (before emailing, please make sure that you can replicate the problem)
  • DEHelp, the central help system for all tech support inquiries related to DED courses
Technical help on weekends
  • JHSPH User Support: 410-955-3781
Concerns about your Internet connection
  • Your Internet service provider (e.g., AT&T, Erols, etc.)
Concerns about your personal software
  • Your software vendor


Questions/clarifications about homework assignments

You may email the question (and associated files) to aedward@jhsph.edu.
Dr. Edward will respond within 48 hours (Monday–Friday) or, if needed, identify a time for you to interactively resolve the problem via chat.


Course Topics

  • Principles of Quality Improvement
  • Defining and Measuring Quality
  • Quality Assurance Tools
  • Problem Solving
  • Quality Assurance for Primary Health Care
  • Teams and Team Building
  • Measurement and Standards
  • Balanced Score Card
  • Health Systems Performance
  • Role of Quality in Cost Recovery
  • Principles of Supervision
  • Institutionalization at the National Level
  • Quality Design of Health Services
  • Accreditation, Licensure, Registration, and Certification
  • Sustainability of Quality Assurance
  • Case Studies of Quality Assurance Methods

Acronyms

Acronyms You Should Know
ARI Acute Respiratory Infection
CQI Continuous Quality Improvement
DHT District Health Team
QA Quality Assurance
QI Quality Improvement
NGO Non-Government Organization
PHC Primary Health Care
PVO Private Voluntary Organization
TQM Total Quality Management


Ethical Conduct

The academic ethics code, as discussed in the Policy and Procedure Memorandum for Students, March 31, 1998, will be adhered to in this class.


Disability Support Services

If you are a student with a documented disability who requires an academic accommodation, please contact Betty H. Addison in the Office of Career Services and Disability Support: dss@jhsph.edu, 410-955-3034, or Room E-1140.

 

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Copyright to this collective work of materials is owned by The Johns Hopkins University.
Copyright to individual contributions may be retained by contributing authors.