title: Principles of development of model health care programmes. WHO Working Group.
abstract: A WHO Working Group consisting of clinicians, people with experience in the development of model health care programmes (MHCP), health care administrators, national health authorities and researchers met in 1982 to discuss the development of MHCPs and to apply principles thus identified to the case of a specific health problem--low back pain. The report identifies the improvement in the quality of care as the main motive for developing MHCPs. Other factors such as rational use of resources, improved planning and decision making and clearer distribution of labour between different levels of health care, institutions and groups of health personnel have also contributed to the current interest in MHCPs. After having briefly described different types of models and their contents, the report moves on to use low back pain as an example suggesting a ten point framework for developing an MHCP. The two last sections deal with the introduction of an MHCP, at the national or local level and the final report once the MHCP has been developed, implemented and evaluated. The two annexes describe concrete experiences in the development of MHCPs. The first annex is the account of a large scale project in Finland launched by the national health authorities and the Finnish hospitals. Relying heavily on the involvement of, and consultation with, all the concerned groups, the project produced a number of MHCPs. A preliminary evaluation showed that they were well accepted. The time span was too short to evaluate their impact on the actual care. The other annex describes in general terms how an MHCP for stroke was developed.
mesh_terms: D001416:Back Pain / Q000628:therapy; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D003363:Cost Control; D005060:Europe; D005387:Finland; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D014944:World Health Organization