International Health Consulting Services

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH DIVISION

The International Health Division of IHCS continues to provide consultancy services in Australasia, Oceania, and Africa, covering a wide selection of services in the Family Health arena. These services range from Policy and Planning Development, Capacity Building and Infrastructure Strengthening, to Developing, Implementing, Monitoring and Evaluating effective Health Programs across the full scope of Preventive, Promotive and Curative Services.

IHCS

Health Services Evaluation and Quality Improvement

Federated States of Micronesia

IHCS provided a consultant, during 2004 and 2005, to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of existing primary care systems and expansion plans in all four states: Pohnpei, Truk, Kosrae and Yap.  Specific emphasis was placed on dispensaries, community health centres and rural health (remote islands), and covered the following areas: dispensary staffing; communications; referrals; infrastructure; transportation; the procurement and distribution of medicines and other essential supplies; and new and in-service training.

The evaluation included both quantitative and qualitative analysis of primary care system performance and service delivery effectiveness, identification of important issues and opportunities for improvement.  A key approach was the establishment of an institutional diagnosis of the quality problems encountered in FSM health services.  Existing barriers to services were analysed and broken into component processes to develop procedures and solutions to encourage appropriate change.  Workshops were carried out in each State with Public Health and Primary Health Care teams to discuss the diagnosis and identify solutions.  Organic plans were developed to address identified problems and solutions.