Health Care Reform and Quality Assurance in Costa Rica

Over the past years, Costa Rica has been undergoing an organizational change that is crucial for health care delivery. Under the health sector reform program, the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social (CCSS) has become responsible for both preventive and curative health services in the country. The Ministry of Health (MOH) is strengthening its role as the institution responsible for establishing standards and monitoring their application in health care delivery. A new integrated model for health services complements this shift in responsibilities, based on the principles of decentralization of health care delivery and a larger involvement by the community and health service providers in decision-making processes. The main goals of this reform plan include better access, quality, and delivery of health care services based on the needs of the target population. Costa Rica has taken the search for improvement of quality health care seriously, and has initiated several activities in that area. The Quality Assurance Project, together with the Latin American/Caribbean Health and Nutrition Sustainability Contract (LAC HNS), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has provided technical assistance to introduce continuous quality improvement methodology in seven hospitals and clinics in the South Central Health Region. This intervention was expected to result in concrete improvements for specific problems in each of these health facilities, and to serve as a model to be duplicated in health facilities elsewhere in the country.

Mariam Ahmad