PAQS ASBL

What PAQS ASBL does

PAQS ASBL (Association Sans But Lucratif) is an independent Belgian non-profit expertise center founded in 2014 that supports continuous quality improvement and patient safety in healthcare institutions across Brussels and Wallonia. The organization operates through three interconnected pillars: (1) a portfolio of training programs including the flagship Patient Safety Officer (PSO) certification, Improvement Basics, LEADS.be leadership, TeamSTEPPS 3.0, and Risk Management; (2) 18-month collaborative thematic programs addressing medication management, communication at care transition points, and patient identification vigilance; and (3) quality indicator services covering patient experience (PPE-15, PRIM), staff engagement and safety culture (SCORE), and the common indicator set co-developed under a regional health minister mandate.

The technology foundation comprises an Odoo-based web presence for course delivery, event registration, and member resources, plus the MyPAQS e-learning platform hosting IHI Open School francophone courses and the 'Cap sur le bien-être' MOOC developed with ULB and UCLouvain. The proprietary methodology layer — Model for Improvement derivatives, London Protocol 2024, Just Culture decision tree, Ask Me 3 translation, driver diagram and run chart Excel templates — is packaged as practical tools and publications rather than software products. There are no APIs, mobile applications, or AI/ML components in the current offering.

PAQS is funded through a combination of membership fees from healthcare federations (GIBBIS, SANTHEA, UNESSA, Wallcura), mutual health insurers, universities, and professional associations; regional government support (AVIQ, VIVALIS); training program fees (with member/non-member tiering and an engagement-reward refund mechanism introduced in 2025); and project contracts for indicator support. Pricing for training ranges from €75 net (Improvement Basics, member rate) to €5,200 (PSO, non-member full price), with 18-month collaboratifs free for members. The organization serves as a quasi-official reference body, with its Livre Mauve (2020) cited by regional authorities and its governance structured around all major Brussels-Wallonia healthcare federations, mutualities, and academic institutions.

Name

PAQS ASBL

Legal name

PAQS ASBL (Plateforme pour l'Amélioration continue de la Qualité des soins et de la Sécurité des patients)

Website

https://paqs.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PAQS ASBL is a Belgian non-profit expertise center that supports continuous quality improvement and patient safety in healthcare institutions across Brussels and Wallonia through training programs, 18-month collaborative improvement programs, and quality indicator services for hospitals, nursing homes, and sector federations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Quality Improvement Services

NAICS

Offices of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners (621399)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health Reporting, Dashboards & KPI Performance Management (HLAJANAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Quality Measurement, Reporting & Benchmarking (HEDIS/Stars/CQM) (HLACAHAC)

Keywords

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Patient safety training
• Quality indicators
• Medical collaborative programs
• Healthcare accreditation

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Training and formation programs: PAQS charges for in-person training programs (Improvement Basics, Patient Safety Officer, LEADS.be, TeamSTEPPS, Risk Management) and e-learning courses. Pricing is tiered between member institutions (federation members) and non-members, with reimbursement models where active participation is rewarded with partial refunds. In-person sessions are held at UNESSA, Namur.
2. Collaborative thematic accompaniment: 18-month thematic collaborative programs (medication management, communication at transition points, patient identification) provided to member institutions. Some are free for PAQS members. Revenue derives from membership fees and project-specific funding.
3. Indicator support services: PAQS provides hospitals and nursing homes with quality dashboard support to prepare for new regional and federal regulatory requirements. Includes data collection, benchmarking, and exchange on common quality indicators. Revenue model involves project-based service contracts with institutions.
4. Membership and institutional support: PAQS is funded by its member institutions (federations: GIBBIS, SANTHEA, UNESSA, Wallcura; mutualities; universities; and professional associations). Member institutions benefit from preferential pricing on training and free access to certain collaborative programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

PAQS ASBL operates as an independent, non-profit expertise center that supports healthcare institutions in Brussels and Wallonia through three interconnected service pillars: (1) paid training programs covering continuous improvement fundamentals (Improvement Basics), the 9-module Patient Safety Officer certification, LEADS.be leadership, TeamSTEPPS 3.0 teamwork, and Risk Management; (2) 18-month collaborative improvement programs on three priority themes (medication management, communication at transition points, patient identification vigilance); and (3) quality indicator services including the common indicator set mandated by regional health ministers, patient experience measurement (PPE-15/PRIM), and staff engagement/safety culture measurement (SCORE).

Product overview

PAQS ASBL is a non-profit expertise center supporting continuous quality improvement in Brussels and Wallonia healthcare institutions. The organization operates as a unified platform with interconnected service pillars: (1) Training programs including Improvement Basics, Patient Safety Officer (PSO), LEADS.be, TeamSTEPPS 3.0, and Risk Management; (2) Priority Thematics Accompaniment covering medication management, communication at transition points, and patient identification vigilance through 18-month collaborative programs; (3) Quality Indicators comprising common indicator sets, patient experience tools (PPE-15, PRIM), and staff engagement measurement (SCORE). Additional offerings include awareness campaigns (What Matters to You, World Patient Safety Day), publications (Livre Mauve, London Protocol, Just Culture tools), and e-learning resources including IHI Open School French version and continuous improvement tools modules. The organization uses Odoo-based online platforms for course delivery and member access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Improvement Basics

Quantifiable outcome

• Publication of regional patient safety strategy (Livre Mauve) adopted by regional health authorities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018PAQS collaborates extensively with IHI on multiple fronts: co-developing the Patient Safety Officer training program based on IHI methodology, distributing IHI Open School francophone courses through the MyPAQS platform, implementing the Ask Me 3® patient involvement program, and organizing delegation participation in the annual IHI/BMJ International Congress on Quality and Safety.
• Health Standards Organization (HSO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSO (based in Canada) is a partner in the PAQS collaborative network. HSO develops health standards and quality improvement resources that inform PAQS's methodology and training programs.
• ISQua (International Society for Quality in Health Care)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAQS is affiliated with ISQua, an international organization dedicated to improving the quality and safety of healthcare worldwide. PAQS is listed on ISQua's Francophone network page and benefits from international quality standards benchmarking.
• Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) - School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAQS co-developed the 'Cap sur le bien-être' MOOC with the ULB School of Public Health and UCLouvain Faculty of Public Health. This 5-module wellness MOOC represents a co-creation between PAQS and academic institutions.
• UCLouvain - Faculty of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner for the 'Cap sur le bien-être' MOOC alongside ULB. UCLouvain is also a member institution of PAQS and represented in its governance.
• Université de Liège (ULiège)minorOthersULiège is a member of PAQS and represented in its governance structure. Academic members contribute expertise and serve on the scientific ecosystem.
• Université de Mons (UMons)minorOthersUMons is a member of PAQS and represented in its governance structure.
• Fédération des hôpitaux vaudois (Switzerland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss hospital federation collaborated with PAQS to adapt the 'What matters to you?' (CIPV) campaign into French. This cross-border collaboration produced the French-language version of the international campaign.
• Réseau Francophone d'Amélioration de la Qualité (RFAQ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAQS participates in the RFAQ network, a francophone quality improvement community that meets at IHI congresses and includes participants from Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. PAQS is notably active in promoting the CIPV/WMTY campaign within this network.
• Health Improvement Alliance Europe (HIAE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAQS is a member of the Health Improvement Alliance Europe, an IHI-affiliated collaborative network of European healthcare quality improvement organizations, enabling cross-border learning and best practice exchange.
• GIBBIS (Brussels hospital federation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGIBBIS is a PAQS member and represents Brussels healthcare institutions. GIBBIS members receive preferential pricing on PAQS training programs and are targeted through federation communication channels. GIBBIS representatives sit on the Board of Directors.
• SANTHEA (Walloon hospital federation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSANTHEA is a PAQS member and represents Walloon healthcare institutions. Members receive preferential PAQS training rates. SANTHEA representatives sit on the Board of Directors. Some thematic sessions are held at Santhea, Namur.
• UNESSA (Belgian hospital federation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUNESSA is a PAQS member and represents Belgian healthcare institutions. UNESSA provides the primary venue (Chaussée de Marche, Namur) for PAQS training sessions. UNESSA's President chairs the PAQS Board of Directors. Members receive preferential training pricing.
• Wallcura (Walloon care home federation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWallcura is a PAQS member representing Walloon care homes and residential institutions. Representatives sit on the Board of Directors. Wallcura members receive preferential PAQS training pricing.
• Mutual health insurers (Union Nationale des Mutualités Chrétiennes, Libres, Libérales, Neutres; Solidaris)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive Belgian mutual health insurers are PAQS members and board participants. They collaborate on collecting patient experience indicators at the regional level and contribute to quality and safety initiatives. The Vice-President of the Board represents the Union Nationale des Mutualités Libres.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI): US-based global leader in healthcare improvement, and PAQS's primary methodology partner. Offers overlapping capability (Breakthrough Series collaboratives, Open School courses, Patient Safety Officer frameworks) at global scale, making IHI a strategic partner and the largest potential competitor in Belgian QI services.
• Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS): France's national independent health authority for quality, safety, and value-based care. Directly comparable to PAQS in mission (quality indicator development, healthcare institution guidance, training) but operates at national scale with substantially greater resources and a formal governmental mandate.
• ISQua (International Society for Quality in Health Care): International society dedicated to improving quality and safety in healthcare, and an explicit PAQS partner via its Francophone network. Comparable as a quality-focused membership organization but with a broader international remit and conference/standards agenda rather than national training delivery.
• Zorginstituut Nederland: Dutch national institute responsible for healthcare quality, accessibility, and affordability. Comparable to PAQS in delivering quality measurement, improvement guidance, and standards support, but at national scale with broader reimbursement and policy mandates.
• Joint Commission International (JCI): Global healthcare accreditation and quality improvement organization. Comparable in mission (improving patient safety, providing standards and training) but operates at much larger international scale and is more focused on formal accreditation than the collaborative-improvement model PAQS uses.

Regional players

• Agence pour une Vie de Qualité (AVIQ): Walloon regional public agency responsible for health, social welfare, and quality-of-life policy. Directly comparable as a Wallonia-focused health authority — and an actual supporter of PAQS — but with a much broader mandate encompassing policy, funding, and regulation rather than QI delivery.

Direct peers

• Fédération des hôpitaux vaudois (FHV): Swiss (Vaud canton) hospital federation that collaborated with PAQS on the 'What matters to you?' CIPV campaign adaptation. Comparable as a regional hospital federation driving patient safety and QI initiatives, mirroring PAQS's federation-partner structure but at cantonal rather than regional scale.
• Accreditation Canada: Canadian accreditation and quality improvement organization. Comparable to PAQS in providing healthcare quality assessment, standards-based programs, and institutional improvement support, with an international footprint across francophone markets that could overlap with PAQS's RFAQ network.
• IQTIG (Institut für Qualitätssicherung und Transparenz im Gesundheitswesen): Germany's national institute for quality assurance and transparency in healthcare. Develops quality indicators, supports cross-sector QI programs, and advises on regulation — closely paralleling PAQS's indicator and collaboratif model, with direct peer status in methodology and institutional support.
• Health Standards Organization (HSO): Canadian organization developing global health standards and quality improvement resources, and an explicit PAQS partner. Offers comparable services (standards development, accreditation, LEADS framework — which PAQS adapted as LEADS.be), positioning HSO as a direct peer with international reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paqs-asbl

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about PAQS ASBL