AUPHA management problem-solving (MAPS) module : patient services management

This report, one of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration"s management-problem solving (MAPS) modules, describes a method to enable health service managers in developing countries to assess the quality of patient care. Question areas within the module (which are addressed to managers but adaptable to patients) are based on the conviction that resolution of health problems requires assessment not only of patient/client aspects of curative health care, but also of environmental concerns and primary health systems. (This latter belief is due to the fact that many of the changes in the health status of developing countries have resulted not from provision of medical care but from efforts to control environmental adversities, provide basic preventive services, and facilitate patient access to resources needed for healthful behavior). Accordingly, a series of questions are presented which enable health managers to gather patient feedback in the following areas: (1) access and availability of health services, including relevance of services to country health conditions, the determination of monetary and emotional costs of services, and forms of payment; (2) quality of service in terms of the attitudes of health service providers, follow-up and monitoring procedures, recording service utilization rates, and appropriateness of service to the patient"s condition; (3) educative activities, including the community"s awareness and support of services, community education and outreach programs, and community feedback; and (4) competition and cooperation among various health providers, including traditional and indigenous health workers. Included are practical tips on collecting data, especially in sensitive areas; a simple method to differentiate key problems and develop appropriate solutions; suggestions for problem analysis; a user"s guide to the MAPS series; and a 7-item reference list (1974-81).