Intense interest in Asia Pacific Forum

Media Release

14 July 2003

Intense interest in Asia Pacific Forum

An international forum on quality improvement in health care being held in Auckland later this year is generating intense interest in New Zealand, the Ministry of Health said today.

About 800 people are expected to attend the three-day 3rd Asia Pacific Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care when it opens at the Aotea Centre on September 3.

The forum will feature a raft of international experts aiming to inspire health care practitioners to make improvements in their work and give them practical skills to do so. The key theme will be the importance of equity as a measure of quality improvement.

Ministry spokeswoman Gillian Bohm said the forum will target doctors, nurses, managers, other health professionals, health care leaders, policy makers, researchers, patients and patient representatives and quality professionals.

``This is the first time an event of this sort has been held in New Zealand and we're very lucky to have such experts -- both international and national -- in the same place at the same time,'' she said.

``Not only will we be exposed to the latest thinking in quality improvement steps being taken around the world, but it's also a chance to celebrate the good work taking place in New Zealand in this area.''

Ms Bohm noted that a high-performing system in which people have confidence is one of the seven fundamental principles of the New Zealand Health Strategy, and quality is also reflected in a number of the objectives in the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

``The subject of patient safety and the quality of health care has gained increasing momentum internationally as a major focus of attention in professional and health policy circles,'' she said.

Key speakers include:

Professor Mason Durie, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Massey University;

Dr John Oldham, general practitioner and head of Britain's National Primary Care Development Team;

Richard Smith, editor and chief executive of the BMJ Publishing Group;

Professor Rod Jackson, professor of epidemiology and head of the division of community health, Auckland University; Professor Helen Bevan, director of redesign for the National Health Service Modernisation Agency (England);

Dr Donald Berwick, president and chief executive for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (USA).

Tickets for the forum are still available at: www.quality.bmjpg.com

ENDS

For more information, contact: Marama Ellis Media Advisor Ministry of Health DDI: 04 496 2067

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