Doubts about the capacity of district health boards to drive
quality improvement in health services have been expressed by
health systems specialist Associate Prof Robin Gauld.
At a lecture in Dunedin earlier this week about engaging
senior management and the board in clinical quality
improvement, he said it was an issue that deeply worried him.
He was "really not sure" board members had the capacity to
drive high-performing healthcare in the way they should, he
said.
Prof Gauld was not sure whether boards got training in
quality improvement. A student working on this in the
University of Otago's Centre for Health Systems had found it
difficult to get information in this area.
Prof Gauld referred to research showing boards of hospitals
overseas taking quality improvement seriously and spending
time talking to and listening to medical staff and patients
made improvements that resulted in better outcomes for
patients.
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