the Annual International Forum for Clinical Governance and Accreditation was held under the slogan “Towards Governance of Institutions to Develop the Quality of Health Services” by the Health and Medical Education Authority affiliated with Imam Hussain Holy Shrine on Wednesday and Thursday, 22nd and 23rd of May 2024, in the Grand Hall of Al-Sibtain University.
1- Introduction: the Annual International Forum for Clinical Governance and Accreditation was held under the slogan “Towards Governance of Institutions to Develop the Quality of Health Services” by the Health and Medical Education Authority affiliated with Imam Hussain Holy Shrine on Wednesday and Thursday, 22nd and 23rd of May 2024, in the Grand Hall of Al-Sibtain University. The Forum was attended by a selection of decision-makers, experts, consultants, academics, and managers in the public and private health sectors, as well as company directors and those interested in the health sector, with the number of participants reaching 250.
2- Participating Countries: A number of guests attended as lecturers and participants representing the following countries: Arab Republic of Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Sultanate of Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Turkey, and Australia.
3- Participating Government Entities: Participants representing the following entities attended: The Prime Minister’s Office, the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, the Advisory Board, the Iraqi Council of Representatives, the Ministry of Health, the Health Insurance Authority, the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Higher Education, the Medical Association, the Pharmacists Association, the Nursing Association, and the Health Administrators Association.
4- Forum Objectives: The Forum aimed to increase awareness of the importance of governance and accreditation in providing high-quality health services, exchange knowledge and expertise among healthcare stakeholders to improve practices and policies, provide a platform to discuss challenges and opportunities related to enhancing governance and accreditation in the Iraqi health sector, promote cooperation and partnerships between official entities, private health sector institutions, companies, and international organizations, in addition to encouraging the use of technology and innovation in improving the performance of health institutions.
5- Participating Companies and Institutions: A number of national and regional companies participated in the Forum ’s activities, including dialog sessions and visits, and set up exhibition platforms that were attended by the Forum participants to learn about the latest medical technology and modern techniques in the field of management and medical governance. The following companies participated: Iraq Progress Company, one of the branches of EarthLink, in addition to Al-Nabaa Computer Services and Information Technology Company, Al-Hamra Insurance Company, Al-Isnad Health and Consulting Services Company, Medikit Lebanese Company, and Akif Health Turkish Company, with notable contributions to the Health and Medical Education Authority institutions such as Warith Public Health Foundation, Khadija Specialized Hospital, and Al-Sibtain University of Medical Sciences.
6- Forum Agenda: The Forum activities commenced on Wednesday, the 22nd of May, at 10:00 AM with a recitation from the Holy Quran and reading of Al-Fatiha for the souls of the martyrs. The Forum began with a welcoming speech by Dr. Haider Hamza Al-Abadi, President of the Health and Medical Education Authority, who spoke about the importance of governance and accreditation and the impact of international reference accreditations for health institutions in implementing intended service policies and regulations, which aim to improve the service reality for patients and reduce medical errors. Dr. Majid Shankali, President of the Parliamentary Health and Environment Committee, stated in his speech that governmental health institutions have not advanced in the field of governance or medical accreditation due to circumstances and challenges, but some private institutions, including those affiliated with Imam Hussain Holy Shrine, have seriously begun adopting governance and accreditation in their institutions. The acting President of the Health Insurance Authority and the General Manager of the Health Insurance Authority Fund, Mr. Ali Ahmed Obaid, spoke about the goal of the health insurance law in securing comprehensive health coverage for all citizens, as well as reducing the financial burdens on employees and citizens in general, achieving parity between the public and private sectors, and encouraging investment in the health sector. Dr. Hussein Al-Qubaisi, the Strategic Director at the Health and Medical Education Authority, presented an overview of the Authority’s journey towards excellence in the era of accreditation and prudent governance, indicating that the Authority is striving to obtain international accreditation as a certificate of its commitment to the set standards and subjecting itself to periodic audits by prestigious entities.
7- The First Panel Discussion The first panel discussion (Accreditation of Health Institutions and the Desired Impact on Improving the Quality of Health Services) was managed by Dr. Ali Hameed Al-Radi, where Dr. Amani Mustafa - Head of the Central Administration for the Affairs of the President’s Office of the General Authority for Accreditation and Health Supervision in Egypt, spoke about the effects of applying health service accreditation on the success of health insurance systems, and the second lecture was given by Dr. Shaimaa Al-Minyaoui, Quality and Accreditation Advisor for the Health and Medical Education Authority, who spoke about the roadmap for hospitals to implement accreditation and its impact on improving hospital performance and efficiency, while Dr. Adel Aliq, a distinguished expert in healthcare management and economics from Lebanon, spoke about the roadmap for accrediting health institutions, and the first session concluded with a lecture by Dr. Abdullah Salman, an expert in Dubai Health and holder of the American Board in Medical Service Quality, speaking about the advantages and limitations of healthcare accreditation.
Recommendations of the First Panel Discussion on Medical Accreditation:
A. Support the efforts of the Ministry of Health and the Health Insurance Authority to implement the objectives and goals of the health insurance law to improve the Iraqi health reality, enhance the quality of health services, and increase investment in the health sector.
B. Commend the experience of the Health and Medical Education Authority at Imam Hussain Holy Shrine in adopting the methodology of health institution accreditation according to national standards that align with international standards.
C. Emphasize the necessity of launching a national plan to establish Iraqi national standards for accrediting health institutions that align with global standards for quality and accreditation of health institutions, with the participation of representatives from the public, private, and charitable sectors of healthcare providers, medical and health associations, and international and national advisory bodies.
D. Develop a roadmap for establishing a national accreditation institution with the participation of international experts to ensure health institutions’ compliance with national standards for healthcare quality and patient safety.
8- The Second Panel Discussion: The second panel discussion on the first day (Modern Management Systems and Their Role in Governing Health Institutions) was managed by Dr. Hussein Al-Qubaisi, where Professor Haider Maala, Investment Manager of Iraq Progress Company, spoke about enhancing sustainability and reliability in healthcare systems, while Mr. Qaisar Khaled, Executive Director of Information Technology for the Health and Medical Education Authority, spoke about accelerating the digital transformation of the health sector through the application of health insurance, and the second session concluded with a lecture by Mr. Ammar Al-Hassani, the appointed Director of Firewall Company, on cybersecurity and its role in preserving the data of health institutions and patients. The second session resulted in important outcomes after dialogues and discussions from all parties participating in the Forum , which later became recommendations.
Recommendations of the Second Panel Discussion on Governance and Modern Medical Management:
A. Emphasize the implementation of modern management systems in managing Iraqi health institutions.
B. Develop a national strategy for digital transformation in the health sector, taking into account the gradual transition within specified timeframes from the paper system to the electronic medical system.
C. Support governmental and private health institutions that initiate the application of modern electronic systems in medical management by the Ministry of Health and the Health Insurance Authority.
D. Encourage initiatives and innovations in the field of software and artificial intelligence for approved medical uses.
E. Emphasize the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of patient and health institution data and risk management during digital transformation plans, and benefit from international and national expertise for the safety and security of procedures.
9- The Annual International Forum on its Second Day: The Forum ’s agenda on its second day, Wednesday, the 23rd of May, began at 10:00 AM with a field visit for all participants to the departments of Warith International Oncology Foundation to observe the workflow for serving patients, starting from the Nuclear Medicine department where guests were introduced to the specialized devices and modern systems used in advanced patient information storage, in addition to the services provided by the Nuclear Medicine department and the production of radioactive material in the institution and supplying other centers in Iraq with radioactive material. The participating guests also visited the Relations department, the Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Therapy department, the Chemotherapy department, and the Laboratory departments.
10-The Third Panel Discussion on the Second Day of the Forum : The third panel discussion was held at the headquarters of Warith International Oncology Foundation, managed by Dr. Tahseen Al-Attar, where Dr. Ghassan Mohammed, Quality Officer at Warith Foundation, delivered a lecture on the patient experience journey in the Holy Shrine hospitals, and Dr. Ali Omar from the Arab Republic of Egypt presented a lecture on service quality and management systems, and the session was concluded by Mr. Munther Al-Kaabi, an expert in the engineering sector, with a lecture on the importance of inspection and calibration of medical devices and the necessity of adopting a national program for calibration and periodic auditing of medical devices to protect patients and the Iraqi citizen from the side effects of using devices and technology.
Recommendations of the Third Panel Discussion of the Forum :
A. Continue supporting training and education programs in the field of healthcare quality due to their significant impact on the development of healthcare institutions’ performance.
B. Emphasize the importance of involving patients in therapeutic programs to ensure healthcare that responds to their human needs.
C. Adopt calibration and auditing programs for the operation of medical devices by Iraqi health institutions and launch a national program to highlight the danger and importance of medical devices on the life of the Iraqi citizen.
D. Focus on studies of quality, management, and governance in medical education to build specialized cadres that ensure the sustainability of the advancement and development of healthcare institutions to serve the dear citizens.
