Quality indicators for health promotion programmes

Methods for systematically following up and auditing health promotion have been in demand for a considerable period of time. Quality assurance as an auditing method has opened up new opportunities in this area. On the basis of Donabedian's 'triad' of structure, process and outcome, the theoretical preconditions for and implementation of a number of successful health promotion programmes/ projects have been analysed with regard to their common characteristics. These characteristics have been generalized and then transformed into indicators of a successful health promotion programme/project. To ensure the practical applicability of the quality indicators, they were operationalized in what we call a 'question pro-forma'. Any negative response to a question on the pro-forma indicates quality defects in a programme, and any positive response the opposite. The 'template' can be employed for both the planning and auditing for quality assurance on health promotion programmes and projects. The question pro-forma has been tested successfully on a number of programmes and projects. The results from one study are shown in the article.