District monitoring teams approach to improve quality of healthcare in Azerbaijan

Baku, February 7 (AzerTAc). Discussions on the theme “District Monitoring Teams (DMTs)” being held under the USAID-funded Primary Heath Care Strengthening (PHCS) Project, implemented by Abt Associates, was held in the Public Health and Reforms Center of Azerbaijani Ministry of Health. Speaking at the meeting Olga Zues, project director and senior associate at Abt Associates said: “We are very pleased with results of disctict monitoring teams and with being able to seamlessly collaborate with Azerbaijan`s Minister of Health and its medical institutions”. “Now the Republic has the proper protocols for diagnosing and treating high blood pressure, and these protocols can help lengthen lives and improve life quality for many Azerbaijanis.” Primary Heath Care Strengthening (PHCS) Project, implemented by Abt Associates works closely with and provides technical assistance to the MOH to strengthen Azerbaijan`s health policies and its PHC system. Zues said that after upgrading Azerbaijan`s clinical diagnostic and treatment standards for arterial hypertension to align with evidence-based international protocol, Abt trained more than 300 primary care doctors to use the revised procedures to diagnose and treat patients. Abt helped establish and build the capacity of the District Monitoring Team (DMTs) to monitor implementation of the new clinical standards and new skills of primary care doctors. The DMTs, which are charged by district health authorities to help improve quality of care in pilot primary care facilities, tracked the performance of pilot public health care facilities in seven districts on a quarterly basis. “This project is only one of the many health care reforms we have helped Azerbaijan implement over the past four years,” Zues said. “The work has been challenging and very rewarding.”