Policy Brief: Issue 40: The Quality and Outcomes Framework Project: Incentive to develop primary care quality

Primary care services are health services which are the first point of contact in the healthcare system and play a role in the health of the local population. The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) project, which is managed by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and National Health Security Office (NHSO), aims to improve the quality of primary care to be equal to other healthcare providers nationwide as well as to match up to international standards. In the first and second phases of current research project on the development of quality indicators for primary care under the Universal Health Coverage scheme, it was found that the QOF project was beneficial in the development of health services. In other words, it raised awareness in primary care providers about the importance of quality primary care even though it was a short-term project. However, the QOF project can continue to be developed to increase efficiency even more if the NHSO and the MoPH use quality indicators and utilize both financial and other non- monetary incentives that are related to the QOF. The QOF project should also be evaluated in an appropriate manner to show what kind of benefits are obtained.