Williams DR, Jenkins C, Balmer S, Farrar H, Bowens A, Bruce E; International Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care. Meeting.
Annu Meet Int Soc Technol Assess Health Care Int Soc Technol Assess Health Care Meet. 1999; 15: 66.
OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE: To identify a strategic national framework for ensuring quality management of NHS screening programs, building on best practice in the breast and cervical screening programs. METHODS: The research consists of four elements: 1. a Workshop (on 23 July 1998) involving NHS Managers, clinicians, public health professionals, user group representatives, academics and others to identify key issues; 2. a search and review of the relevant literature in the UK and outside; 3. a written survey of UK District Directors of Public Health to identify existing local initiatives and opinions about the factors which facilitate or impede quality management of screening. 4. a series of qualitative telephone interviews with individuals involved in a range of roles in screening to give further information on the issues covered in the survey. RESULTS: The research is ongoing, and due to be completed at the end of March 1999. The results so far suggest that the following are key factors for the success of a national framework of quality management for screening program. Clear, explicit and streamlined accountability, management and performance assessment frameworks at national, region and local levels; a positive not blame culture, involving professional, staff and users in quality management; commissioning should be at health authority level or higher and screening units sufficiently large to allow development of expertise and meaningful monitoring; screening should be better integrated into mainstream NHS management processes, while maintaining a strategic, national direction; the media, public, users and professionals need much better information about the benefits and limitations of screening programmes; evidence based training for professionals in communication skills is very important; quality management of screening would be greatly improved by a user friendly, efficient IT system for program management and performance monitoring.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Administrative Personnel
- Health Personnel
- Health Services Research
- Mass Screening
- Research
- diagnosis
- hsrmtgs
Other ID:
UI: 102193847
From Meeting Abstracts