Introduction

KQMH Background

The Kenya Quality Model for Health is defined as a conceptual framework for guiding and supporting coordination in an integrated manner, efforts and investments aimed at improving quality of healthcare in Kenya. This part of the project will by providing 47 health facilities with IT-based tools to support continuous quality improvement in line with the KQMH standard. The goal of this model is;

  1. Improve adherence to standards and guidelines through evidence-informed medicine.
  2. Apply quality principles and tools and satisfying patient/client needs in a culturally appropriate way.
  3. Guide integration of patient partnership in the healthcare process.

A practically usable checklist is part of the model and is intended for use at all levels of health facilities, in line with the services provided. It should be used for facility self-assessment, peer assessment of network of facilities and by external assessors like regulator or certification bodies. All facilities shall carry out self-assessment. The role of the assessor will be to validate the assessment results. The KQMH User Manual gives a step to step guide on how to navigate through, logging in, data entry, report generation and logging out.

Principles of the KQMH and Dimensions of Quality

The KQMH integrates evidence-based medicine through wide dissemination of public health and clinical standards and guidelines embedded with total quality management and patient partnership. The eight principles underlying KQMH are:

  • Leadership
  • Customer orientation
  • Involvement of people and stakeholders
  • Systems approach to management
  • Process orientation
  • Continuous quality improvement
  • Evidence-based decision making

The 12 dimensions of the KQMH implemented through the standards described in this document are organised around structure, processes and results, as follows:

  1. Structure:
  1. Leadership
  2. Human Resources
  3. Policies, Standards and Guidelines
  4. Facility and Infrastructure
  5. Supplies Management
  6. Equipment
  7. Transport
  8. Referral Systems
  9. Health Records and Health Management Information Systems
  10. Financial Management
  1. Processes:
  1. Outpatient services
  2. Patient-centred care
  3. Infection prevention and control
  4. Outpatient services
  5. Accidents and emergencies
  6. Surgical emergencies
  7. Anaesthesia
  8. Safe delivery
  9. Neonatal care
  10. Dialysis services
  11. Laboratory services
  12. Pharmacy services
  13. Radiology services
  14. Mortuary services
  1. Results, measured against set key performance indicators.

Users of the Manual

This user manual is beneficial to the many users. Some of these users include the following:

  1. Counties
  2. Health Facilities
  3. Health Organisations
  4. The Ministry of Health in Kenya
  5. Quality Improvement Teams for health facilities

Contents:

Indices and tables