[Evaluation of a program monitoring the quality of the services provided by a non-governmental organization].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of a quality-monitoring program on the occurrence of sentinel events and on attitudes and behaviors of personnel's responses in a Non-Governmental-Organization (NGO).


METHODS
Between 1998 and 1999, a quasi-experimental design of the before-after type was conducted in 13 NGO clinics. Analysis of changes in attitudes and behaviors consisted in differences of means and analysis of variance between groups.


RESULTS
The number of sentinel events decreased from 32 events detected before the quality-monitoring program to only 2 after it. Attitudes and behaviors improved, with differences of means of +1.1 and +1.2 (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The quality-monitoring program achieved the expected effects. It is noteworthy that attitudes and behaviors to prevent the occurrence of sentinel events were more prevalent after the intervention.
Sauceda-Valenzuela
A L
AL
Centro de Investigación en Sistemas de Salud, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (INSP), Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
Durán-Arenas
L
L
Hernández
B
B
D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D009938:Organizations / Q000592:standards*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D017749:Total Quality Management