'Quality of care is the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes. It is based on evidence-based professional knowledge and is critical for achieving universal health coverage.'
https://www.who.int/health-topics/quality-of-care#tab=tab_1
There are many definitions of quality health care but WHO specifically recognises that it is 'based on evidence-based professional knowledge'. This is critical and irrefutable. Quality care cannot be provided without evidence-based professional knowledge. Indeed one doesn't need the word 'professional' here. A parent who provides increased fluids for a child with diarrhoea (rather than withholding fluids) is delivering quality health care. Quality health care for me is synonymous with the carer providing care based on evidence-based knowledge, whatever the level of available resources.
Quality of care is dependent primarily on the availability and use of evidence-based knowledge. This is true whether we are talking about professional care, community health workers, parents and family carers, or self-care. The resources available to the healthcare provider (medicines, equipment, systems support) are clearly important, but the availability and use of evidence-based knowledge is paramount *whatever* the level of resources.
There is nothing more important than empowering healthcare providers (whether parents of health workers) with evidence-based knowledge. Such knowledge must also be appropriate to the context; it must be understandable, in the right language and format, and relevant to the healthcare provider's available resources.
This vision can only be achieved by strengthening the global evidence ecosystem - there is no quick fix. HIFA's unique role is to strengthen three intrinsic weaknesses in the system - communication, understanding and advocacy.
This is why HIFA advocates for universal access to reliable healthcare information: a world where every person has access to the reliable information they need to protect their own health and the health of others.
But we cannot do this alone, with a secretariat of 1.2 staff. This is why we have persuaded more than 400 organisations worldwide to officially endorse the HIFA vision. Our current priority is to persuade global professional groups to do the same. To date, we have persuaded two key groups to endorse the goal of universal access: the world's 10 million doctors (represented by the World Medical Association) and the world's library and information professionals (represented by the International Federation of Library Associations), both of which have issued official policy statements. We recently invited the World Association of Medical Editors to do the same and we await their response.
Most importantly, our recent global consultation, which involved more than 2400 respondents representing every part of the global evidence ecosystem, has a resounding message for the World Health Organization. The respondents overwhelmingly call on the World Health Organization to explicitly champion the goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information, and for WHO, HIFA and partners to bring stakeholders together to develop a global action plan for its realisation. An editorial in Lancet Global Health stated: 'We support the championing role of WHO as recommended in the Health Information For All report and stand ready to play our part in strategy development.'
Thanks to HIFA advocacy, there have been many signs in the past 2-3 years that WHO is moving towards an explicit commitment to universal access, and when it does so this will be a game-changer.
HIFA needs financial and technical support to deliver transformational change. If you can help in any way, please let me know: neil@hifa.org
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org