Continuing Education in Health for the Use of Quality Management Tools
Keywords: Quality Management; Continuing Health Education; Health Management.
Introduction: Quality tools were mainly developed from the 1950s onward, based on the concepts and practices predominant at that time. Since then, the application of these tools has proven to be extremely valuable for management systems. They constitute a set of techniques that allow the definition, measurement, analysis, and proposal of solutions to problems identified in professional practice and in service provision, directly impacting the performance and effectiveness of organizational processes. Justification: The effective integration between health education and quality management represents an innovative and necessary approach to improve managerial processes in the hospital context. Training in quality management tools can enable better analysis and control of processes, promoting more informed and data-driven decision-making. This contributes to a more structured and efficient approach to quality management. Objectives: To implement continuing health education actions aimed at introducing quality management tools for managerial professionals in a public hospital unit. Methodology: This study adopted an action research approach, characterized as a qualitative research method, through the implementation of educational workshops with the management team of HETFF. The study aimed to support the implementation of quality tools within the hospital unit, qualify professionals, and develop educational materials. Ethical and legal aspects of research involving human participants were duly considered, and the study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (REC) of FACISA under CAAE number 7.498.902/2025. Results: The situational diagnosis, conducted with 31 managers from HETFF, revealed that although most participants had prior awareness of quality tools, their level of knowledge was predominantly basic, with only occasional practical application. Educational workshops were conducted to enhance managerial practices and were highly well received by participants. The main outcomes included increased knowledge of quality tools, strengthened critical reflection on work processes, and a greater sense of preparedness to apply these tools in managerial practice. Following the training activities, managers expressed interest in implementing these tools within their respective sectors, indicating potential for their incorporation into routine institutional practices. Conclusion: The educational actions developed contributed to expanding managers’ knowledge regarding quality management tools and stimulated reflections on their application in organizing institutional processes. The findings indicate that strategies based on Continuing Health Education can strengthen managerial practices and support the continuous improvement of hospital services. The development of a practical guide represents a supporting resource for the continuation of educational actions and for the incorporation of quality management tools into everyday institutional practice.