Outcome of Conducting District Team Problem Solving Approach in Iraq

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Background: Converting input into output is one definition of management. District Team Problem Solving is a managerial process concerned with increasing the confidence and skills of health teams members, it is to start a sustainable management development based on the actual work situation at a district and sub national levels.

Objective: To describe the application and to evaluate the District Team Problem Solving   activities implemented in Iraq.

Methods: A review of all District Team Problem Solving activities of planning and evaluation workshops implemented in Iraq during the years 1997-2004 was done single handily by the researcher, standardized structured questionnaire was used to evaluate the training tasks achievements by trainees. Service, health and indicators of difficulties were used to assess the impact of these interventions that were carried out by the health teams’ members

Results: District Team Problem Solving as a decentralization community based management process was implemented in Iraq since 1997 and expanded before the third Gulf war to tackle high priority public health problems in Iraq, this technique brought the attention and supports of many International organizations such as; WHO, UNICEF, 756 health care providers, mainly physicians predominantly males (66%), were trained, their managerial capabilities  increased significantly after exposure to this learning by doing approach p <0.01. The main priority problems tackled by health teams were; communicable diseases (37%), maternal and child health problems (24.7%) and poor health care delivery services (11.7%). According to the indicators used, the study revealed a statistically significant improvement in health care services (p<0.001) and significant reduction in difficulties facing care providers (p<0.001), which led to a positive progress in the health status of districts communities. 

Conclusion: Tangible results in the health status of the community were obtained without additional resources, these results are satisfactory to adopt this approach to improve health care services and effectively building capacities of health care providers in Iraq.