Quality Assurance Policies and Indicators for Long-Term Care in the European Union. Country Report: Estonia

Abstract:
The Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) is responsible for the quality of long-term care in Estonia, particularly in matters of development and control at national level. The Health Board is responsible for staff quality, standards and supervision of LTC. The Estonian Health Insurance Fund is responsible for LTC care and service quality. At the second level, county governors represent the government in 15 counties, but local municipalities are the main providers of social services to citizens in Estonia. Guidelines and manuals to improve service quality have been developed by MOSA, including two sets of guidelines for nursing care provision. Despite the numerous frameworks and developments in quality assurance, including internationally recognised LTC indicators, they are yet to be adopted, however. At present, no national or local-level quality indicators are measured in Estonia.