ICML 9

9º World Congress on Health Information and Libraries

Salvador, Bahia - Brazil, September, 20 to 23 - 2005

BVS4

4th Regional Coordination Meeting of the VHL

September, 19 to 20 - 2005

Empowerment of the non-professional staff at the Health Center of “La Vicentina” – Area 3 through the formation of an autonomous research group and the creation of a virtual and physical library as its main tool

Participants:
  • Instituto de Salud Pública de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, ISP-PUCE  - Ecuador
Documents:

In the Health Center “La Vicentina” located in the area 3 of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Public Health a Project for gathering a group of researchers with non-professional staff will take place. The Project aims at enforcing the autonomous usage of this tool as a way to improve the quality of the service and attention provided.

The creation of a physical and virtual library, besides being the first decision to become a reality, will also be a tool that staff can use for self-study. It will enforce the self-responsibility to update the library with data and to manage it.

In public health services, staff has little space to make decisions. This project will serve to evaluate the participation of internal actors through empowerment as they become aware of the utility and applicability of their actions. Currently there are no studies in the country regarding the participation of internal actors who are the basis for quality services.

The objective of empowering personnel fro m health services is to foster a proactive attitude in regard to changes that improve the quality of the service and to help those actors in the permanent evaluation of their actions and the service in general.

This experience attempts to demonstrate that the non-medical professional is able to carry put activities which until so far have only been the responsibility of professionals. Experience has shown that medical doctors do not always carry out their activities efficiently or effectively.

The initial process of negotiation is very valid, due to the conflictive nature of the group which dates back to a long time.

The present work shows the planning up to the group formation stage and the start of the training with periodical feedback occasions.