Training for quality management: report on a nationwide distance learning initiative for physicians in Spain.
Under the sponsorship of a pharmaceutical firm, a distance-learning course on Quality Management methods was developed at the University of Murcia (Spain) and offered nationwide to primary health care physicians working in the public system. A total of 7104 physicians (47.7% of the census) signed up (at least one in 92.2% of the health centres). The course content follows the author's model of quality improvement, monitoring and design trilogy, but focuses mainly on methods for a quality improvement cycle using a learning-by-doing and problem-solving approach. The unexpected success of this initiative has led us to reflect on the interest in learning about quality improvement methods shown by physicians, the usefulness of the distance-learning approach, and also to continue the project with new initiatives such as: a summary poster, software containing all the necessary tools and data analysis for quality improvement, and a manual.
UD Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Departamento de Ciencias Sociosanitarias, Universidad de Murcia, Spain. psaturno@fcu.um.es
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D003479:Curriculum; D020375:Education, Distance / Q000592:standards*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011340:Problem Solving; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013030:Spain; D013663:Teaching