PALS
The Approach
The “Participatory Approach to Learning in Systems” (PALS) is a practice and training approach for sustainable improvement in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in health facilites.
PALS in practice describes IPC improvement as an organisational learning process that invites all actors to take part and creates ownership and commitment to a common locally meaningful goal. This mainly happens by solution-oriented and non-violent communication, re-organisation of IPC targeted collaboration and engaged leadership involvement. PALS reflects two concepts, the Participatory Approach and the Systematic View.
The PALS training approach and programme for Change Agents and health facility leadership as well as for PALS Trainers offer experience-oriented learning modules and stimulate reflection on IPC practice and its influencing factors. Participants are trained in the systemic understanding of IPC change processes and enabled to participatorily communicate and collaborate to develop feasible solution to local IPC problems. In addition, the training programme for PALS Trainers provides the perspective of teaching and learning and support participants to step into the role as a PALS Trainer.
PALS in Practice
We know that the quality of IPC standards in hospitals depends on many factors beyond IPC knowledge and infrastructure. PALS adds a social lens to the technical and fact-based understanding of IPC and focuses on interpersonal relationships at all levels of hierarchical status groups and professional cadres. The health facility is seen as a vital social system and IPC practice is understood as a social negotiation among the actors. Technical IPC knowledge orients IPC improvement activities and becomes contextualized by translating it into concrete local practice. The IPC quality improvement of the system, the health facility is our objective. We call this the “Systemic View”, one of the core concepts of PALS. Beside the social relational aspect, it takes into consideration the infrastructure of work conditions, the organisation of work and other factors which influence the quality of IPC practice.
PALS Training approach
What’s so special about PALS trainings?
The PALS training approach and program for Change Agents, health facility leadership and for PALS Trainers has been developed and implemented to train health care workers and Medical Directors/Chief Medical Directors to enable them to initiate and maintain the necessary IPC improvement processes in their health facilities.