The problem

Choice is a crucial aspect of national health care systems, and increasing numbers of patients are moving across borders to receive treatment. At present, neither governments nor citizens have a clear and coherent basis for comparing health care delivery in different institutions or different countries, or for choosing where to go. Many different approaches to quality are applied in European health care systems. There is a need to assess the application of quality systems across Europe to document the current situation and guide future policy development.

Overview:

MARQUIS will examine the quality strategies in health care at national and EU level

The project will:

• Assess the value of different quality strategies
• Identify and collate the quality requirements for national health care providers when contracting care for patients from providers in other countries
• Examine how a representative sample of individual hospitals in seven countries apply national quality strategies
• Reach conclusions about the links and differences among national quality requirements, and the need to develop formal quality procedures at the EU level

Contribution to policy development:

• Provision of evidence to assist in the further development of formal quality procedures for health care institutions at EU level
• Specific recommendations for an EU quality system for the movement of patients across national borders
• General recommendations for future policy developments in health care quality strategies

Project deliverables

• Data to assist national health care providers when contracting care for patients from providers in other countries – by March 2006
• International audit and training manual – by February 2007
• Information for individual hospitals when reviewing the design of their quality strategies – by December 2007
• Evidence to assist in the further development of health care quality procedures at EU level – by December 2007
• Recommendations for a specific EU quality system for patients moving across borders, and general recommendations for future policy developments – by December 2007

Dissemination

• Publication of findings in scientific journals – as needed
• Communications distributed by major organisations, especially the World Health Organisation (WHO)
• Communications distributed by key health care organisations with links to the project
• Communications distributed by organisations of health care professionals

Technical information

Project acronym: MARQuIS
Project’s official full title: Methods of Assessing Response to Quality Improvement Strategies
Research priority: 2.1. Health determinants and the provision of high quality and sustainable health care services and pension systems (in particular in the context of ageing and demographic change)
Specific webpage: http://www.marquis.be
Proposal/contract no: 513712
Start date: 23/12/2004
Kick off meeting: Not available
Completion date: 22/12/2007
European Commission scientific officer: Jan Paehler, Jan.Paehler@ec.europa.eu

Coordinator:
Name: Avedis Donabedian Foundation
Abbreviated name: FAD
Address: C/ Provenza, 293, pral 08037 Barcelona
Country: Spain
Tel: +34 (0) 932 076 608
Fax: +34 (0) 93 459 3864
Website: http://www.fadq.org

Partners

Name: Manchester University, Health Management
Abbreviated name: MCHM
Country: United Kingdom

Name: Amsterdam Medical Centre, Social Medicine
Abbreviated name: AMC
Country: Netherlands

Name: Centre for Research and Education
Abbreviated name: CEREF
Country: Italy

Name: Dutch Institute for Healthcare Improvement
Abbreviated name: CBO
Country: Netherlands

Name: European Society for Quality in Healthcare
Abbreviated name: ESQH
Country: Ireland

Name: Standing Committee of Hospitals of the EU
Abbreviated name: HOPE
Country: Belgium

Name: National Centre for Quality Assurance
Abbreviated name: NCQA
Country: Poland