Application of the Methodology of Six Sigma in Public Health Institution

New world trends in product quality assurance and processes in companies around the world are based on quality control in all processes (basic and logistics). Quality control is in all processes: receiving requests from clients, implementation of required services, issuing final results, maintenance of instruments, procurement, providing quality and trained staff, and commercial service. Health care institutions in Republic of North Macedonia has got old models of management. By accepting the new world philosophies, the healthcare institutions are oriented towards a different quality system, transformation of the organizational structure, patient involvement, monitoring the key processes, implementing data management tools and team work. The TQM (Total Quality Management) system in a healthcare institution is based on the main principles of this philosophy: sanitary standardization, full commitment of patients, involvement of all employees in the organization and teamwork, continuous improvement and implement of six sigma methodology. The aim of the research is to implement and apply the six-sigma methodology as a tool for improving business processes in the Public Health Institution. With proactive application of the methodology six sigma in the department of clinical microbiology were determinedbusiness processes, potential operational errors, statistical processing of the obtained data and finding a solution for the identified defects in business processes. The research conducted in the Department of Clinical Microbiology showed that with the practical application of the 6-sigma methodology, excellent improvements were obtained in all business processes by: involving more employees, correction the time for delivery of materials to admission department, and complete training for employees.

Working Experience of an Animal Welfare Body at an Italian Veterinary Public Health Institution

According to Directive 2010/63/EU, project proposals involving experiments on animals must be favourably evaluated by the local Animal Welfare Body (AWB) before submission for approval to the central competent authority, i.e., the Ministry of Health in the case of Italy. Here the working experience of the AWB established in one Italian veterinary public health institution is considered and discussed to identify limits, difficulties, and provide suggestions for improvement based on practical cases. Given its pivotal role, the AWB should be strengthened to guarantee the safety and welfare of animals used for scientific purposes, and to further the awareness of researchers about animal welfare and ethics.

Preventing the White Death: Tuberculosis Dispensaries

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of death worldwide and while treatable by antibiotics since the 1940s, drug resistant strains have emerged. This article estimates the effects of the establishment of a pre-antibiotic public health institution, known as a TB dispensary, designed to prevent the spread of the disease. Our annual difference-in-differences estimation reveals that the rollout of the dispensaries across Danish cities led to a 19% decline in the TB mortality rate, but no significant impacts on other diseases when performing placebo regressions. We next take advantage of the dispensaries explicit targeting on TB to setup a triple-differences model which exploits other diseases as controls and obtain a similar magnitude of the effect. As for the mechanism, the evidence highlights the dispensaries’ preventive actions, such as information provision. At an estimated cost as low as 68 dollars per saved life-year, this particular public-health institution was extraordinarily cost effective. Overall, our evidence suggests a policy for developing countries to combat drug resistant TB.