Quality Action aims to increase the effectiveness of HIV prevention using practical Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Improvement (QI) tools. It will train at least 60 trainers/facilitators in the 25 participating member states to provide capacity building and technical assistance to at least 80 HIV prevention programs and projects who will apply practical QA/QI tools adapted especially for use in HIV prevention. Based on the results of these pilot applications, Quality Action will produce a ‘Charter for Quality in HIV Prevention’ with agreed principles and criteria to assess and improve quality. A Policy Kit will promote the integration of QA/QI into HIV prevention strategies, policies and action plans at the European, regional and member state levels. The tools, training modules and case studies will be made available as a set of core materials for application beyond the current scope of the project.
More information is available on:
Contact person:
Matthias Wentzlaff-Eggebert and Caren Wiegand
Address:
Ostmerheimer Straße 220
51109 Köln
Germany
E-mail:
matthias.wentzlaff-eggebert@bzga.de
Key population:
Regions:
Topics:
Quality development and assurance
Lead Partner:
Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA)
Associated Partners:
Aidsberodung Croix-Rouge Luxembourgeoise, Aids Hilfe Wien, AIDS Action Europe, Soa Aids Nederland, Centre for Communicable Diseases and AIDS Lithuania, Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Deutsche AIDS-Hilfe e.V., Drustvo SKUC, EuroHealthNet, Health Service Executive Ireland, Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, HELP udruga za pomoc mladima, Lega Italiana per la Lotta contro l'Aids, Ministerio de Sanidad Servicios Sociales e lgualdad, National Institute for Health Development Estonia, National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani, National Institute for Infectious Diseases Romania,
Project objectives:
The general objective of Quality Action is to improve the quality of the response to HIV and AIDS in Europe. Marginalised populations are more vulnerable to HIV and AIDS due to risk behaviour and limited access to services, education, prevention knowledge and commodities. The complex socio-cultural context for MSM, IDU, migrants and PLWH requires tailored interventions and non-discriminatory, accessible and culturally appropriate health services. Factors influencing quality and effectiveness are known, but have not yet been clearly articulated, agreed and used. Quality Action will: 1) Integrate evidence-based quality assurance (QA) and quality improvement (QI) practices into HIV prevention across Europe; 2) build a network of trained HIV prevention stakeholders to apply practical QA/QI tools to projects targeting priority groups in demonstration pilots; and 3) mainstream QA/QI into HIV prevention through development and dissemination of an agreed charter of quality principles and criteria as well as policy guidance.
Results:
60 trainers/facilitators trained in participating countries; 80 practical applications of QA/QI tools in participating countries
Collaborating Partners:
AIDES, Bulgarian Ministry of Health, Catholic University for Applied Sciences Berlin, European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), European Science Advisory Network for Health (EuSANH), Federal Office of Public Health (BAG), GAT contactos, Icelandic Directorate of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), National Institute of Public Health Slovenia, Norwegian Directorate of Health, UNAIDS, University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), WHO Regional Office for Europe
Duration of Project:
03/2013 - 02/2016
Methods Used:
Adapting evidence-based tools; train-the-trainer, adult education, e-learning and practice-based learning; data collection; document analysis and focus groups to articulate quality principles and criteria; desk/literature review including assessing policy impact; stakeholder analysis
Output / Materials produced:
Participation guide; QA/QI tools (electronic and paper format); introductory QA/QI and tool-specific training modules; e-learning package; report on the practical application of QA/QI tools, incl. barriers, enablers and case studies; Charter for Quality in HIV Prevention; recommended policy statements/strategic actions and supporting methods; database of intermediary networks, programs and projects; presentations; updated materials in various languages
Dissemination Channels:
Website/stakeholder platform, concluding conference in October 2015, newsletters, presentations at relevant conferences, press releases
Evaluation:
Process and outcome evaluation using quantitative and qualitative methods, quality improvement tool applied to Quality Action