The Primary Healthcare Reform Project, Armenia
Supported by the United States Agency for Overseas Development (USAID), the PHCR project is an Armenian development initiative that aims to complete a package of wholesale reform of the Armenian Health Service by 2010. With a view to developing a Performance Based Financing (PBF) Primary Healthcare system, the PHCR project commissioned the services of RIPA International to develop a consultancy programme and study tour of the UK National Health Service and its affiliated agencies for a number of senior ranking officials from the Armenian Ministries of Finance and Health to support their reform initiative.
The main aim of the PHCR project in Armenia is to increase the utilisation of sustainable, high-quality primary healthcare services for its citizens. A major initiative within the PHCR project is to develop a system of Performance Based Financing within Armenia’s Primary Healthcare organisations, based on world-class clinical standards, and to cascade this reform programme throughout Armenia’s entire national system of health provision.
To support this initiative RIPA International’s assisted in equipping the visiting officials with the skills necessary for managing all Performance Based Financing (PBF) related activities and for involving adequate staff in their departments and all Primary Healthcare facilities to carry relevant activities for:
- Planning and organising nation-wide introduction of performance based financing system
- Building PHC performance data collection information system and analyzing the accumulated data, and using this data and information for more targeted planning, financing and management of service delivery
Recognising the challenges that have emerged in the implementation of the system in the UK (and it’s devolved regions), the programme highlighted the key issues that are likely to be faced in the implementation stage and to prepare the study group to fully appreciate the challenges, issues, and risks and the necessary contingency plans in establishing such a programme for the Armenian Ministry of Health.
The programme enabled the study group to analyse strengths and weaknesses of PBF based on clinical standards. The challenges faced by policy makers and health sector professionals in implementing the system in the UK (and its devolved regions), provided the group with an insight into the opportunities to develop policies and procedures in Armenia that would take into account contemporary issues faced in the UK.