General Coordinator of Equity LA II supports the progress of the project in Chile

2015-07-08

Between June 28 and July 8, M. Luisa Vázquez was in Chile in order to support the Chilean research team in the development of the activities of the project. Currently it is being implemented the survey of coordination across care levels (COORDENA-LA) aimed at primary care physicians and specialist and simultaneously is being applied the survey of continuity (CCAENA-LA).to users and users of the Family Health Centers of the districts involved in the study.

Throughout her stay, Dr. Vázquez participated in various activities; continuity survey fieldwork, visiting family health centers of the northern and southern territories. Together with Dr. Eguiguren had a meeting with Dr. José Miguel Puccio, director of Hospital San José, to agree the coordination survey fieldwork, where the doctors of the hospital will be involved.

Additionally, Dr. Vázquez took part in the team meetings, supervisor meetings and interviewer training, as well as collaborated in the elaboration of codes for the open question of the coordination survey. Furthermore, she attended at the regular meetings of the participatory structures of the Project, the Local Steering Committee and the National Expert Committee meetings.

Local Steering Committee Meeting

The Local Steering Committee is one of the most important bodies of work of the Equity-LA II project, which supports the participatory nature of the study. This committee consists of professionals and executives representing the different levels of care of the intervention network; Dr. Maria Eugenia Chadwick, head of the Health Department of the Municipality of Recoleta, Technical Unit advisors, and Family Health Community Centers directors; representatives of the San José Hospital, and managers and advisors of the North Metropolitan Health Service.

Dr. Vázquez attended the monthly meeting of the Committee where fieldwork progress, in northern communes (intervention area) and southern part (control area), was discussed, highlighting progress and solutions to the identified problems. Dr. Vázquez contributed to a fruitful exchange of views on the Equity-LA II project in Chile and to an overview of the study and the Health Services Networks. Dr. Vázquez recalled that "the Integrated Health Services Networks are not an end in themselves but a mean, among other possible, to improve health care"

Representatives of the North Metropolitan Health Service (SSMN) presented a study on the use of Primary Care Services Emergency (SAPU). The presentation served the basis for discussion on Health Services in Spain and Chile, identifying common elements and generating important reflections. Emphasizing the need to pay more attention at user’s perception when thinking and searching for health care improvement.

Users among the experts

National Expert Committee is the other instance involved in the project. This is a heterogeneous committee, composed by representatives of health authority of the Ministry of Health and other public health institutions, health care user’s delegates, which allowed to conduct a rich exchange on the progress of the project and the overview of the different health systems, particularly those of Chile and Spain, and the joint service networks, together with Dr. Vázquez.

Together with Camilo medical Bass, director of Primary Health Care, Gisella Alarcon Management Division of the Healthcare Network of the Ministry of Public Health; Maria Soledad Barria former Minister of Health and academic at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Chile; Ivonne Ahlers, Head of the Department of APS and Family Health of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile; Guido Carvajal, user’s leader and member of CONDESUR (Southern Area territorial organization of users); members of the research team, Oscar Arteaga, Head of the School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Ana Maria Oyarce and Pamela Eguiguren, project coordinator Equity-LA II project in Chile. Instruments of coordination and continuity surveys were reviewed and received comments that enriched the discussion about what is feasible to measure and the relevance of the study in terms of the production of evidence on the articulation of health care in the study areas.

Surprise for new interviewers

A total of 15 boys and girls interested in participating as interviewers had the luck to know closely the experience and tips for the successful development of this activity directly by the international research in charge. Dr. Vázquez supported training and shared the proper handling of the instrument through practical exercises.  

Finally, the Chilean team Equity-LA II thanked the support given by Dr. Vázquez these days, wishing her a good journey to Uruguay and being committed to putting all efforts for the for the successful development of the project in Chile.

 

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