Karolinska Institutet, Dept of Public Health Sciences, Division of Social Medicine

Abstract

The aim of this presentation is to suggest a model of concepts of quality adapted for health promotion. The scope of health promotion is broad. Philosophically, it deals with a positive concept of health, the fundamental principle of equal access to health opportunities, and also gender sensitivity. At one end, it encompasses multi-sectoral collaboration, at the other the development of health-communication messages. Means range from public policy to furthering individual skills for living a healthy life. All this means that any particular quality-assurance intervention in health promotion has to be developed on its own merits, taking the breadth of the area into account. At present, there are a number of groups around the world discussing quality-assurance issues in health promotion practice. These discussions have already led to the production of practical manuals. There is at least two "quality paradigms" currently being debated: the External Standard Inspection (ESI) approach, and the Total Quality Management (TQM) model, in the hands of the executing organisation. A key question is which, if either of these two ´paradigms´ is most appropriate for assessing and improving the quality of any particular health promotion programme. There are a number of related quality concepts. Benchmarking, which is concerned with how to increase capacity to promote competition, is a common tool in industry. A number of quality dimensions for services have also been presented. These are reliability, sensitiveness, competence, availability, performance, communication, trustworthiness, safety, and correction. Donobedian's model for health care has been used as a foundation for several quality instruments for health services. In this poster quality aspects are compared between Consumers product of industry, Health services and Health Promotion. A model of concepts of quality adapted to health promotion is suggested in order to clarify the present conceptual confusion.

Keywords

Quality assurance, Concepts, Theory, Health promotion

Contact

Jansson Bjarne

Institution

Karolinska Institutet, Dept of Public Health Sciences, Division of Social Medicine

Postaddress

Norrbacka

Postcode

SE-171 76

City

Stockholm

Country

Sweden

E-mail

bjarne.janson@phs.ki.se

Phone

+ 46 8 517 700 00

Fax

+ 46 8 33 46 93