Asian Care Certificate (ACC): a care quality assurance framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Talaie, Tony

2018-04-16

Purpose Quality assuring elderly care through a viable and feasible standard framework is a major challenge for Asian governments. Although several attempts have been made to tackle foreign care worker (FCW) shortage, assuring the quality of the care they provide has been overlooked. The original framework allowed a better control over service quality to assure the elderly about their care according to the agreed standards. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Through several Japanese Governmental meetings, a new Asian Care Certificate (ACC) program is discussed based on the Japanese Care Certificate (JCC). The governments' representatives adopted the JCC to form the ACC, which enables the ACC board to evaluate care workers and to intervene whenever the desired quality level is not achieved. Findings The author describes a new program. The findings of this paper will be confirmed when the ACC is implemented. Practical implications Using the ACC framework, the challenge in providing a high-quality care service using FCWs across Asia would be partly resolved. FCWs' quality of life might also gradually improve especially regarding to their human rights. Originality/value The ACC provides a new framework. Its value is recognized if one considers that many Asian populations are rapidly aging and many governments compromise quality by employing overseas workers to solve care worker shortages.

Availability and Price of High Quality Day Care and Female Employment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Marianne

In this paper I analyse to what degree availability and price of high quality publicly subsidised childcare affects female employment for women living in couples following maternity leave. The results show that unrestricted access to day care has a significantly positive effct on female employment.......The price effect is significantly negative: An increase in the price of child care of C=1 will decrease the female employment with 0.08% corresponding to a price elasticity of −0.17. This effect prevails during the first 12 months after childbirth....

Creating a network of high-quality skilled nursing facilities: preliminary data on the postacute care quality improvement experiences of an accountable care organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Lage, Daniel E; Rusinak, Donna; Carr, Darcy; Grabowski, David C; Ackerly, D Clay

2015-04-01

Postacute care (PAC) is an important source of cost growth and variation in the Medicare program and is critical to accountable care organization (ACO) and bundled payment efforts to improve quality and value in the Medicare program, but ACOs must often look outside their walls to identify high-value external PAC partners, including skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). As a solution to this problem, the integrated health system, Partners HealthCare System (PHS) and its Pioneer ACO launched the PHS SNF Collaborative Network in October 2013 to identify and partner with high-quality SNFs. This study details the method by which PHS selected SNFs using minimum criteria based on public scores and secondary criteria based on self-reported measures, describes the characteristics of selected and nonselected SNFs, and reports SNF satisfaction with the collaborative. The selected SNFs (n = 47) had significantly higher CMS Five-Star scores than the nonselected SNFs (n = 93) (4.6 vs 3.2, P improving care in SNFs remain daunting, this approach can serve as a first step toward greater clinical collaboration between acute and postacute settings that will lead to better outcomes for frail older adults. © 2015, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2015, The American Geriatrics Society.

Regional variations in health care intensity and physician perceptions of quality of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirovich, Brenda E; Gottlieb, Daniel J; Welch, H Gilbert; Fisher, Elliott S

2006-05-02

Research has documented dramatic differences in health care utilization and spending across U.S. regions with similar levels of patient illness. Although patient outcomes and quality of care have been found to be no better in regions of high health care intensity, it is unknown whether physicians in these regions feel more capable of providing good patient care than those in low-intensity regions. To determine whether physicians in high-intensity regions feel better able to care for patients than physicians in low-intensity regions. Physician telephone survey. 51 metropolitan and 9 nonmetropolitan areas of the United States and a supplemental national sample. 10,577 physicians who provided care to adults in 1998 or 1999 were surveyed for the Community Tracking Study (response rate, 61%). The End-of-Life Expenditure Index, a measure of spending that reflects differences in the overall quantity of medical services provided rather than differences in illness or price, was used to determine health care intensity in the physicians' community. Outcomes included physicians' perceived availability of clinical services, ability to provide high-quality care to patients, and career satisfaction. Although the highest-intensity regions have substantially more hospital beds and specialists per capita, physicians in these regions reported more difficulty obtaining needed services for their patients. The proportion of physicians who felt able to obtain elective hospital admissions ranged from 50% in high-intensity regions to 64% in the lowest-intensity region (P market factors (for example, managed care penetration); the difference in perceived ability to provide high-quality care was no longer statistically significant (P = 0.099). The cross-sectional design prevented demonstration of a causal relationship between intensity and physician perceptions of quality. Despite more resources, physicians in regions of high health care intensity did not report greater ease in obtaining

Improving Quality of Care in Primary Health-Care Facilities in Rural Nigeria

OpenAIRE

Ugo, Okoli; Ezinne, Eze-Ajoku; Modupe, Oludipe; Nicole, Spieker; Winifred, Ekezie; Kelechi, Ohiri

2016-01-01

Background: Nigeria has a high population density but a weak health-care system. To improve the quality of care, 3 organizations carried out a quality improvement pilot intervention at the primary health-care level in selected rural areas. Objective: To assess the change in quality of care in primary health-care facilities in rural Nigeria following the provision of technical governance support and to document the successes and challenges encountered. Method: A total of 6 states were selected...

Quality of care for people with multimorbidity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiøtz, Michaela L.; Høst, Dorte; Christensen, Mikkel B.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity is becoming increasingly prevalent and presents challenges for healthcare providers and systems. Studies examining the relationship between multimorbidity and quality of care report mixed findings. The purpose of this study was to investigate quality of care for people ...... includes formally assigned responsibility for care coordination, a change in the financial incentive structure towards a system rewarding high quality care and care focusing on prevention of disease exacerbation, as well as implementing shared medical record systems.......BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity is becoming increasingly prevalent and presents challenges for healthcare providers and systems. Studies examining the relationship between multimorbidity and quality of care report mixed findings. The purpose of this study was to investigate quality of care for people...... with multimorbidity in the publicly funded healthcare system in Denmark. METHODS: To investigate the quality of care for people with multimorbidity different groups of clinicians from the hospital, general practice and the municipality reviewed records from 23 persons with multimorbidity and discussed them in three...

Quality of care and patient satisfaction in hospitals with high concentrations of black patients.

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Brooks-Carthon, J Margo; Kutney-Lee, Ann; Sloane, Douglas M; Cimiotti, Jeannie P; Aiken, Linda H

2011-09-01

To examine the influence of nursing-specifically nurse staffing and the nurse work environment-on quality of care and patient satisfaction in hospitals with varying concentrations of Black patients. Cross-sectional secondary analysis of 2006-2007 nurse survey data collected across four states (Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and California), the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, and administrative data. Global analysis of variance and linear regression models were used to examine the association between the concentration of Black patients on quality measures (readiness for discharge, patient or family complaints, health care-associated infections) and patient satisfaction, before and after accounting for nursing and hospital characteristics. Nurses working in hospitals with higher concentrations of Blacks reported poorer confidence in patients' readiness for discharge and more frequent complaints and infections. Patients treated in hospitals with higher concentrations of Blacks were less satisfied with their care. In the fully adjusted regression models for quality and patient satisfaction outcomes, the effects associated with the concentration of Blacks were explained in part by nursing and structural hospital characteristics. This study demonstrates a relationship between nursing, structural hospital characteristics, quality of care, and patient satisfaction in hospitals with high concentrations of Black patients. Consideration of nursing factors, in addition to other important hospital characteristics, is critical to understanding and improving quality of care and patient satisfaction in minority-serving hospitals. © 2011 Sigma Theta Tau International.

[Quality assurance concepts in intensive care medicine].

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Brinkmann, A; Braun, J P; Riessen, R; Dubb, R; Kaltwasser, A; Bingold, T M

2015-11-01

Intensive care medicine (ICM) is characterized by a high degree of complexity and requires intense communication and collaboration on interdisciplinary and multiprofessional levels. In order to achieve good quality of care in this environment and to prevent errors, a proactive quality and error management as well as a structured quality assurance system are essential. Since the early 1990s, German intensive care societies have developed concepts for quality management and assurance in ICM. In 2006, intensive care networks were founded in different states to support the implementation of evidence-based knowledge into clinical routine and to improve medical outcome, efficacy, and efficiency in ICM. Current instruments and concepts of quality assurance in German ICM include core intensive care data from the data registry DIVI REVERSI, quality indicators, peer review in intensive care, IQM peer review, and various certification processes. The first version of German ICM quality indicators was published in 2010 by an interdisciplinary and interprofessional expert commission. Key figures, indicators, and national benchmarks are intended to describe the quality of structures, processes, and outcomes in intensive care. Many of the quality assurance tools have proved to be useful in clinical practice, but nationwide implementation still can be improved.

Toward High Quality Family Day Care for Infants and Toddlers. Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Rauch, Marian D.; Crowell, Doris C.

Reported were the results of a project which established a cluster of family day care homes in Hawaii in which caregivers were selected, trained, and provided with supportive services and salaries. The primary objective of the program was to provide a replicable, high quality program for preschool children that would maximize social, emotional,…

Development and validation of the quality care questionnaire -palliative care (QCQ-PC): patient-reported assessment of quality of palliative care.

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Young Ho; Kang, Eun Kyo; Lee, Jihye; Choo, Jiyeon; Ryu, Hyewon; Yun, Hye-Min; Kang, Jung Hun; Kim, Tae You; Sim, Jin-Ah; Kim, Yaeji

2018-03-05

In this study, we aimed to develop and validate an instrument that could be used by patients with cancer to evaluate their quality of palliative care. Development of the questionnaire followed the four-phase process: item generation and reduction, construction, pilot testing, and field testing. Based on the literature, we constructed a list of items for the quality of palliative care from 104 quality care issues divided into 14 subscales. We constructed scales of 43 items that only the cancer patients were asked to answer. Using relevance and feasibility criteria and pilot testing, we developed a 44-item questionnaire. To assess the sensitivity and validity of the questionnaire, we recruited 220 patients over 18 years of age from three Korean hospitals. Factor analysis of the data and fit statistics process resulted in the 4-factor, 32-item Quality Care Questionnaire-Palliative Care (QCQ-PC), which covers appropriate communication with health care professionals (ten items), discussing value of life and goals of care (nine items), support and counseling for needs of holistic care (seven items), and accessibility and sustainability of care (six items). All subscales and total scores showed a high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha range, 0.89 to 0.97). Multi-trait scaling analysis showed good convergent (0.568-0.995) and discriminant (0.472-0.869) validity. The correlation between the total and subscale scores of QCQ-PC and those of EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL, MQOL, SAT-SF, and DCS was obtained. This study demonstrates that the QCQ-PC can be adopted to assess the quality of care in patients with cancer.

Reforming Cardiovascular Care in the United States towards High-Quality Care at Lower Cost with Examples from Model Programs in the State of Michigan.

Science.gov (United States)

Alyeshmerni, Daniel; Froehlich, James B; Lewin, Jack; Eagle, Kim A

2014-07-01

Despite its status as a world leader in treatment innovation and medical education, a quality chasm exists in American health care. Care fragmentation and poor coordination contribute to expensive care with highly variable quality in the United States. The rising costs of health care since 1990 have had a huge impact on individuals, families, businesses, the federal and state governments, and the national budget deficit. The passage of the Affordable Care Act represents a large shift in how health care is financed and delivered in the United States. The objective of this review is to describe some of the economic and social forces driving health care reform, provide an overview of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), and review model cardiovascular quality improvement programs underway in the state of Michigan. As health care reorganization occurs at the federal level, local and regional efforts can serve as models to accelerate improvement toward achieving better population health and better care at lower cost. Model programs in Michigan have achieved this goal in cardiovascular care through the systematic application of evidence-based care, the utilization of regional quality improvement collaboratives, community-based childhood wellness promotion, and medical device-based competitive bidding strategies. These efforts are examples of the direction cardiovascular care delivery will need to move in this era of the Affordable Care Act.

Reforming Cardiovascular Care in the United States towards High-Quality Care at Lower Cost with Examples from Model Programs in the State of Michigan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Alyeshmerni

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Despite its status as a world leader in treatment innovation and medical education, a quality chasm exists in American health care. Care fragmentation and poor coordination contribute to expensive care with highly variable quality in the United States. The rising costs of health care since 1990 have had a huge impact on individuals, families, businesses, the federal and state governments, and the national budget deficit. The passage of the Affordable Care Act represents a large shift in how health care is financed and delivered in the United States. The objective of this review is to describe some of the economic and social forces driving health care reform, provide an overview of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, and review model cardiovascular quality improvement programs underway in the state of Michigan. As health care reorganization occurs at the federal level, local and regional efforts can serve as models to accelerate improvement toward achieving better population health and better care at lower cost. Model programs in Michigan have achieved this goal in cardiovascular care through the systematic application of evidence-based care, the utilization of regional quality improvement collaboratives, community-based childhood wellness promotion, and medical device-based competitive bidding strategies. These efforts are examples of the direction cardiovascular care delivery will need to move in this era of the Affordable Care Act.

Review series: Examples of chronic care model: the home-based chronic care model: redesigning home health for high quality care delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Suter, Paula; Hennessey, Beth; Florez, Donna; Newton Suter, W

2011-01-01

Individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) face significant challenges due to frequent distressing dyspnea and deficits related to activities of daily living. Individuals with COPD are often hospitalized frequently for disease exacerbations, negatively impacting quality of life and healthcare expenditure burden. The home-based chronic care model (HBCCM) was designed to address the needs of patients with chronic diseases. This model facilitates the re-design of chronic care delivery within the home health sector by ensuring patient-centered evidence-based care. This HBCCM foundation is Dr. Edward Wagner s chronic care model and has four additional areas of focus: high touch delivery, theory-based self management, specialist oversight and the use of technology. This article will describe this model in detail and outline how model use for patients with COPD can bring value to stakeholders across the health care continuum.

Improving Quality of Care in Primary Health-Care Facilities in Rural Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Ugo, Okoli; Ezinne, Eze-Ajoku; Modupe, Oludipe; Nicole, Spieker; Kelechi, Ohiri

2016-01-01

Background: Nigeria has a high population density but a weak health-care system. To improve the quality of care, 3 organizations carried out a quality improvement pilot intervention at the primary health-care level in selected rural areas. Objective: To assess the change in quality of care in primary health-care facilities in rural Nigeria following the provision of technical governance support and to document the successes and challenges encountered. Method: A total of 6 states were selected across the 6 geopolitical zones of the country. However, assessments were carried out in 40 facilities in only 5 states. Selection was based on location, coverage, and minimum services offered. The facilities were divided randomly into 2 groups. The treatment group received quality-of-care assessment, continuous feedback, and improvement support, whereas the control group received quality assessment and no other support. Data were collected using the SafeCare Healthcare Standards and managed on the SafeCare Data Management System—AfriDB. Eight core areas were assessed at baseline and end line, and compliance to quality health-care standards was compared. Result: Outcomes from 40 facilities were accepted and analyzed. Overall scores increased in the treatment facilities compared to the control facilities, with strong evidence of improvement (t = 5.28, P = .0004) and 11% average improvement, but no clear pattern of improvement emerged in the control group. Conclusion: The study demonstrated governance support and active community involvement offered potential for quality improvement in primary health-care facilities. PMID:28462280

Bridges to Excellence--recognizing high-quality care: analysis of physician quality and resource use.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenthal, Meredith B; de Brantes, Francois S; Sinaiko, Anna D; Frankel, Matthew; Robbins, Russell D; Young, Sara

2008-10-01

To examine whether physicians who sought and received Bridges to Excellence (BTE) recognition performed better than similar physicians on a standardized set of population-based performance measures. Cross-sectional comparison of performance data. Using a claims dataset of all commercially insured members from 6 health plans in Massachusetts, we examined population-based measures of quality and resource use for physicians recognized by the BTE programs Physician Office Link and Diabetes Care Link, compared with nonrecognized physicians in the same specialties. Differences in performance were tested using generalized linear models. Physician Office Link-recognized physicians performed significantly better than their nonrecognized peers on measures of cervical cancer screening, mammography, and glycosylated hemoglobin testing. Diabetes Care Link-recognized physicians performed significantly better on all 4 diabetes process measures of quality, with the largest differences observed in microalbumin screening (17.7%). Patients of Physician Office Link-recognized physicians had a significantly greater percentage of their resource use accounted for by evaluation and management services (3.4%), and a smaller percentage accounted for by facility (-1.6%), inpatient ancillary (-0.1%), and nonmanagement outpatient services (-1.0%). After adjustment for patient age and sex, and case mix, Physician Office Link-recognized physicians had significantly fewer episodes per patient (0.13) and lower resource use per episode (dollars 130), but findings were mixed for Diabetes Care Link-recognized physicians. Our findings suggest that the BTE approach to ascertaining physician quality identifies physicians who perform better on claims-based quality measures and primary care physicians who use a less resource-intensive practice style.

Quality of Care and Job Satisfaction in the European Home Care Setting: Research Protocol

Science.gov (United States)

van der Roest, Henriëtte; van Hout, Hein; Declercq, Anja

2016-01-01

Introduction: Since the European population is ageing, a growing number of elderly will need home care. Consequently, high quality home care for the elderly remains an important challenge. Job satisfaction among care professionals is regarded as an important aspect of the quality of home care. Aim: This paper describes a research protocol to identify elements that have an impact on job satisfaction among care professionals and on quality of care for older people in the home care setting of six European countries. Methods: Data on elements at the macro-level (policy), meso-level (care organisations) and micro-level (clients) are of importance in determining job satisfaction and quality of care. Macro-level indicators will be identified in a previously published literature review. At meso- and micro-level, data will be collected by means of two questionnaires utilsed with both care organisations and care professionals, and by means of interRAI Home Care assessments of clients. The client assessments will be used to calculate quality of care indicators. Subsequently, data will be analysed by means of linear and stepwise multiple regression analyses, correlations and multilevel techniques. Conclusions and Discussion: These results can guide health care policy makers in their decision making process in order to increase the quality of home care in their organisation, in their country or in Europe. PMID:28435423

Quality of Care and Job Satisfaction in the European Home Care Setting: Research Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liza Van Eenoo

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Since the European population is ageing, a growing number of elderly will need home care. Consequently, high quality home care for the elderly remains an important challenge. Job satisfaction among care professionals is regarded as an important aspect of the quality of home care. Aim: This paper describes a research protocol to identify elements that have an impact on job satisfaction among care professionals and on quality of care for older people in the home care setting of six European countries. Methods: Data on elements at the macro-level (policy, meso-level (care organisations and micro-level (clients are of importance in determining job satisfaction and quality of care. Macro-level indicators will be identified in a previously published literature review. At meso- and micro-level, data will be collected by means of two questionnaires utilsed with both care organisations and care professionals, and by means of interRAI Home Care assessments of clients. The client assessments will be used to calculate quality of care indicators. Subsequently, data will be analysed by means of linear and stepwise multiple regression analyses, correlations and multilevel techniques. Conclusions and Discussion: These results can guide health care policy makers in their decision making process in order to increase the quality of home care in their organisation, in their country or in Europe.

Quality-of-care indicators for non-small cell lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanvetyanon, Tawee

2009-10-01

Quality-of-care indicators are measurable elements of practice performance that can be used to assess the quality or change in quality of the care provided. To date, the literature on quality-of-care indicators for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been reviewed. A search was performed to identify articles reporting on quality-of-care indicators specific for NSCLC published from January 2003 to May 2009 (using MEDLINE and American Society of Clinical Oncology abstract databases). Web sites of major quality care organizations were also searched. The identified indicators were then classified by their aspect of care provision (structure-of-care, process-of-care, or outcome-of-care indicator). For structure-of-care quality indicators, the most cited indicators were related to the quality of lung surgery. These included being National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers or high-volume hospitals. For process-of-care quality indicators, the most common indicators were the receipt of surgery for early-stage NSCLC and the administration of chemotherapy for advanced-stage NSCLC. For outcome-of-care quality indicators, the most cited indicators were related to postoperative morbidity or mortality after lung surgery. Several quality-of-care indicators for NSCLC are available. Process-of-care indicators are the most studied. The use of these indicators to measure practice performance holds the promise of improving outcomes of patients with NSCLC.

Day care quality and children's free play activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Vandell, D L; Powers, C P

1983-07-01

Social and nonsocial behavior of white, middle-class preschoolers in high, moderate, and low quality day care centers were contrasted. Children in high quality centers were more likely to interact positively with adults, while children in lower quality programs were more likely to engage in solitary play and aimless wandering.

Improving Quality of Care in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Saberifiroozi, Mehdi

2017-10-01

Liver cirrhosis is a major chronic disease in the field of digestive diseases. It causes more than one million deaths per year. Despite established evidence based guidelines, the adherence to standard of care or quality indicators are variable. Complete adherence to the recommendations of guidelines is less than 50%. To improve the quality of care in patients with cirrhosis, we need a more holistic view. Because of high rate of death due to cardiovascular disease and neoplasms, the care of comorbid conditions and risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, high blood sugar or cholesterol, would be important in addition to the management of primary liver disease. Despite a holistic multidisciplinary approach for this goal, the management of such patients should be patient centered and individualized. The diagnosis of underlying etiology and its appropriate treatment is the most important step. Definition and customizing the quality indicators for quality measure in patients are needed. Because most suggested quality indicators are designed for measuring the quality of care in decompensated liver cirrhosis, we need special quality indicators for compensated and milder forms of chronic liver disease as well. Training the patients for participation in their own management, design of special clinics with dedicated health professionals in a form of chronic disease model, is suggested for improvement of quality of care in this group of patients. Special day care centers by a dedicated gastroenterologist and a trained nurse may be a practical model for better management of such patients.

Patient-reported assessment of quality care at end of life: development and validation of Quality Care Questionnaire-End of Life (QCQ-EOL).

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Young Ho; Kim, Soo-Hyun; Lee, Kyoung-Min; Park, Sang Min; Lee, Chang Geol; Choi, Youn Seon; Lee, Won Sup; Kim, Si-Young; Heo, Dae Seog

2006-09-01

Our goal was to validate an instrument with which terminally ill patients could evaluate the quality of care they receive at the end of life (EOL). Questionnaire development followed a four-phase process: item generation and reduction, construction, pilot testing, and field-testing. Using relevance and priority criteria and pilot testing, we developed a 16-item questionnaire. Factor analyses of data from 235 patients resulted in the Quality Care Questionnaire-End of Life (QCQ-EOL) covering dignity-conserving care, care by health care professionals, individualised care, and family relationships. All subscales and total scores showed high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha range, 0.73-0.89). The ability of total score and selective subscale scores clearly differentiated patients on the basis of clinical situation, sense of dignity, and general rating of care quality. Correlations of scores between patients and caregivers were substantial. The QCQ-EOL can be adopted to assess the quality of care received by terminally ill patients.

Standards of care and quality indicators for multidisciplinary care models for psoriatic arthritis in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Gratacós, Jordi; Luelmo, Jesús; Rodríguez, Jesús; Notario, Jaume; Marco, Teresa Navío; de la Cueva, Pablo; Busquets, Manel Pujol; Font, Mercè García; Joven, Beatriz; Rivera, Raquel; Vega, Jose Luis Alvarez; Álvarez, Antonio Javier Chaves; Parera, Ricardo Sánchez; Carrascosa, Jose Carlos Ruiz; Martínez, Fernando José Rodríguez; Sánchez, José Pardo; Olmos, Carlos Feced; Pujol, Conrad; Galindez, Eva; Barrio, Silvia Pérez; Arana, Ana Urruticoechea; Hergueta, Mercedes; Coto, Pablo; Queiro, Rubén

2018-06-01

To define and give priority to standards of care and quality indicators of multidisciplinary care for patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). A systematic literature review on PsA standards of care and quality indicators was performed. An expert panel of rheumatologists and dermatologists who provide multidisciplinary care was established. In a consensus meeting group, the experts discussed and developed the standards of care and quality indicators and graded their priority, agreement and also the feasibility (only for quality indicators) following qualitative methodology and a Delphi process. Afterwards, these results were discussed with 2 focus groups, 1 with patients, another with health managers. A descriptive analysis is presented. We obtained 25 standards of care (9 of structure, 9 of process, 7 of results) and 24 quality indicators (2 of structure, 5 of process, 17 of results). Standards of care include relevant aspects in the multidisciplinary care of PsA patients like an appropriate physical infrastructure and technical equipment, the access to nursing care, labs and imaging techniques, other health professionals and treatments, or the development of care plans. Regarding quality indicators, the definition of multidisciplinary care model objectives and referral criteria, the establishment of responsibilities and coordination among professionals and the active evaluation of patients and data collection were given a high priority. Patients considered all of them as important. This set of standards of care and quality indicators for the multidisciplinary care of patients with PsA should help improve quality of care in these patients.

Strategies to improve quality of childbirth care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

farahnaz Changaee

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Access to affordable and quality health care is one of the most important ways for reducing maternal and child mortality. The purpose of this study was to provide strategies to promote the quality of care during childbirth in Lorestan province in 2011. Materials and Methods: This research was a mixed method (quantitative, qualitative, study in which quality of 200 care during childbirth in hospitals of Lorestan Province were evaluated. Data gathered through self-made tools (Checklists prepared according to the guidelines of the ministry of health. Descriptive statistics and SPSS software were used to data analysis.In the second part of the study which was qualitative, interview with service providers, hospital officials and high-ranking officials of Lorestan university of medical sciences (decision makers was used to discuss strategies to improve the quality of care. Results: The results showed that the care of the first stage delivery in %54.5, second stage %57 and third stage 66% were in accordance with the desired status and care in this three stages was of moderate quality. Based on the interviews, the officials who are in charge of Lorestan university of medical sciences, proposed strategies such as financial incentives and in-service training of midwives as suitable strategies to improve quality of services. Conclusion: According to the results, strategies such as financial incentives, increased use of private sector services to reduce the workload of the public sector and increase of quality and use of more in-service training, to improve the quality of services, are recommended.

Patients' Evaluation of the Quality of Diabetes Care (PEQD)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pouwer, F; Snoek, Frank J

2002-01-01

aspects of the quality of diabetes care as delivered by the specialist in internal medicine (internist) and the diabetes nurse specialist (DNS). Two principal components analyses (internist/DNS) both yielded one 14 item factor with a high internal consistency. Satisfaction with diabetes care, fewer......OBJECTIVES: To develop a brief measure of patients' evaluation of the quality of diabetes care and to study predictors of consumers' rating of the quality of diabetes care. DESIGN: A prospective design. SUBJECTS: 176 adults with type 1 (39%) or type 2 (61%) diabetes. MAIN MEASURES: Demographic...... variables, HbA1c, number of diabetes complications, satisfaction with diabetes care, diabetes related distress, and fear of hypoglycaemia were assessed by self-report. In addition, satisfaction with diabetes care and evaluations about quality of the care were measured at 16 month follow up. Statistical...

Quality Early Education and Child Care From Birth to Kindergarten.

Science.gov (United States)

Donoghue, Elaine A

2017-08-01

High-quality early education and child care for young children improves physical and cognitive outcomes for the children and can result in enhanced school readiness. Preschool education can be viewed as an investment (especially for at-risk children), and studies show a positive return on that investment. Barriers to high-quality early childhood education include inadequate funding and staff education as well as variable regulation and enforcement. Steps that have been taken to improve the quality of early education and child care include creating multidisciplinary, evidence-based child care practice standards; establishing state quality rating and improvement systems; improving federal and state regulations; providing child care health consultation; as well as initiating other innovative partnerships. Pediatricians have a role in promoting quality early education and child care for all children not only in the medical home but also at the community, state, and national levels. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Using management information systems to enhance health care quality assurance.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosser, L H; Kleiner, B H

1995-01-01

Examines how computers and quality assurance are being used to improve the quality of health care delivery. Traditional quality assurance methods have been limited in their ability to effectively manage the high volume of data generated by the health care process. Computers on the other hand are able to handle large volumes of data as well as monitor patient care activities in both the acute care and ambulatory care settings. Discusses the use of computers to collect and analyse patient data so that changes and problems can be identified. In addition, computer models for reminding physicians to order appropriate preventive health measures for their patients are presented. Concludes that the use of computers to augment quality improvement is essential if the quality of patient care and health promotion are to be improved.

Nurses' work environments, care rationing, job outcomes, and quality of care on neonatal units.

Science.gov (United States)

Rochefort, Christian M; Clarke, Sean P

2010-10-01

This paper is a report of a study of the relationship between work environment characteristics and neonatal intensive care unit nurses' perceptions of care rationing, job outcomes, and quality of care. International evidence suggests that attention to work environments might improve nurse recruitment and retention, and the quality of care. However, comparatively little attention has been given to neonatal care, a specialty where patient and nurse outcomes are potentially quite sensitive to problems with staffing and work environments. Over a 6-month period in 2007-2008, a questionnaire containing measures of work environment characteristics, nursing care rationing, job satisfaction, burnout and quality of care was distributed to 553 nurses in all neonatal intensive care units in the province of Quebec (Canada). A total of 339 nurses (61.3%) completed questionnaires. Overall, 18.6% were dissatisfied with their job, 35.7% showed high emotional exhaustion, and 19.2% rated the quality of care on their unit as fair or poor. Care activities most frequently rationed because of insufficient time were discharge planning, parental support and teaching, and comfort care. In multivariate analyses, higher work environment ratings were related to lower likelihood of reporting rationing and burnout, and better ratings of quality of care and job satisfaction. Additional research on the determinants of nurse outcomes, the quality of patient care, and the impact of rationing of nursing care on patient outcomes in neonatal intensive care units is required. The Neonatal Extent of Work Rationing Instrument appears to be a useful tool for monitoring the extent of rationing of nursing care in neonatal units. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Correlation of neonatal intensive care unit performance across multiple measures of quality of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Profit, Jochen; Zupancic, John A F; Gould, Jeffrey B; Pietz, Kenneth; Kowalkowski, Marc A; Draper, David; Hysong, Sylvia J; Petersen, Laura A

2013-01-01

To examine whether high performance on one measure of quality is associated with high performance on others and to develop a data-driven explanatory model of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) performance. We conducted a cross-sectional data analysis of a statewide perinatal care database. Risk-adjusted NICU ranks were computed for each of 8 measures of quality selected based on expert input. Correlations across measures were tested using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine whether underlying factors were driving the correlations. Twenty-two regional NICUs in California. In total, 5445 very low-birth-weight infants cared for between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2007. Pneumothorax, growth velocity, health care-associated infection, antenatal corticosteroid use, hypothermia during the first hour of life, chronic lung disease, mortality in the NICU, and discharge on any human breast milk. The NICUs varied substantially in their clinical performance across measures of quality. Of 28 unit-level correlations, 6 were significant (ρ < .05). Correlations between pairs of measures of quality of care were strong (ρ ≥ .5) for 1 pair, moderate (range, ρ ≥ .3 to ρ < .5) for 8 pairs, weak (range, ρ ≥ .1 to ρ < .3) for 5 pairs, and negligible (ρ < .1) for 14 pairs. Exploratory factor analysis revealed 4 underlying factors of quality in this sample. Pneumothorax, mortality in the NICU, and antenatal corticosteroid use loaded on factor 1; growth velocity and health care-associated infection loaded on factor 2; chronic lung disease loaded on factor 3; and discharge on any human breast milk loaded on factor 4. In this sample, the ability of individual measures of quality to explain overall quality of neonatal intensive care was modest.

Overcoming job demands to deliver high quality care in a hospital setting across Europe: The role of teamwork and positivity

OpenAIRE

Montgomery Anthony; Panagopoulou Efharis; Costa Patricia

2014-01-01

Health care professionals deal on a daily basis with several job demands – emotional, cognitive, organizational and physical. They must also ensure high quality care to their patients. The aim of this study is to analyse the impact of job demands on quality of care and to investigate team (backup behaviors) and individual (positivity ratio) processes that help to shield that impact. Data was collected from 2,890 doctors and nurses in 9 European countries by means of questionnaires. Job demand...

Defining High-Quality Palliative Care in Oncology Practice: An American Society of Clinical Oncology/American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Guidance Statement.

Science.gov (United States)

Bickel, Kathleen E; McNiff, Kristen; Buss, Mary K; Kamal, Arif; Lupu, Dale; Abernethy, Amy P; Broder, Michael S; Shapiro, Charles L; Acheson, Anupama Kurup; Malin, Jennifer; Evans, Tracey; Krzyzanowska, Monika K

2016-09-01

Integrated into routine oncology care, palliative care can improve symptom burden, quality of life, and patient and caregiver satisfaction. However, not all oncology practices have access to specialist palliative medicine. This project endeavored to define what constitutes high-quality primary palliative care as delivered by medical oncology practices. An expert steering committee outlined 966 palliative care service items, in nine domains, each describing a candidate element of primary palliative care delivery for patients with advanced cancer or high symptom burden. Using modified Delphi methodology, 31 multidisciplinary panelists rated each service item on three constructs: importance, feasibility, and scope within medical oncology practice. Panelists endorsed the highest proportion of palliative care service items in the domains of End-of-Life Care (81%); Communication and Shared Decision Making (79%); and Advance Care Planning (78%). The lowest proportions were in Spiritual and Cultural Assessment and Management (35%) and Psychosocial Assessment and Management (39%). In the largest domain, Symptom Assessment and Management, there was consensus that all symptoms should be assessed and managed at a basic level, with more comprehensive management for common symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dyspnea, and pain. Within the Appropriate Palliative Care and Hospice Referral domain, there was consensus that oncology practices should be able to describe the difference between palliative care and hospice to patients and refer patients appropriately. This statement describes the elements comprising high-quality primary palliative care for patients with advanced cancer or high symptom burden, as delivered by oncology practices. Oncology providers wishing to enhance palliative care delivery may find this information useful to inform operational changes and quality improvement efforts. Copyright © 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Measurement of Quality to Improve Care in Sleep Medicine

OpenAIRE

Morgenthaler, Timothy I.; Aronsky, Amy J.; Carden, Kelly A.; Chervin, Ronald D.; Thomas, Sherene M.; Watson, Nathaniel F.

2015-01-01

The Board of Directors of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) commissioned a Task Force to develop quality measures as part of its strategic plan to promote high quality patient-centered care. Among many potential dimensions of quality, the AASM requested Workgroups to develop outcome and process measures to aid in evaluating the quality of care of five common sleep disorders: restless legs syndrome, insomnia, narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea in adults, and obstructive sleep apne...

Are Staffing, Work Environment, Work Stressors, and Rationing of Care Related to Care Workers' Perception of Quality of Care? A Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zúñiga, Franziska; Ausserhofer, Dietmar; Hamers, Jan P H; Engberg, Sandra; Simon, Michael; Schwendimann, René

2015-10-01

To describe care worker-reported quality of care and to examine its relationship with staffing variables, work environment, work stressors, and implicit rationing of nursing care. Cross-sectional study. National, randomly selected sample of Swiss nursing homes, stratified according to language region and size. A total of 4311 care workers of all educational backgrounds (registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nurse aides) from 402 units in 155 nursing homes completed a survey between May 2012 and April 2013. Care worker-reported quality of care was measured with a single item; predictors were assessed with established instruments (eg, Practice Environment Scale-Nurse Working Index) adapted for nursing home use. A multilevel logistic regression model was applied to assess predictors for quality of care. Overall, 7% of care workers rated the quality of care provided as rather low or very low. Important factors related to better quality of care were higher teamwork and safety climate (odds ratio [OR] 6.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.36-8.79); better staffing and resources adequacy (OR 2.94, 95% CI 2.08-4.15); less stress due to workload (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.55-0.93); less implicit rationing of caring, rehabilitation, and monitoring (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.24-0.49); and less rationing of social care (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69-0.92). Neither leadership nor staffing levels, staff mix, or turnover was significantly related to quality of care. Work environment factors and organizational processes are vital to provide high quality of care. The improvement of work environment, support in handling work stressors, and reduction of rationing of nursing care might be intervention points to promote high quality of care in nursing homes. Copyright © 2015 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The roles of government in improving health care quality and safety.

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Tang, Ning; Eisenberg, John M; Meyer, Gregg S

2004-01-01

Discussions surrounding the role of government have been and continue to be a favorite American pastime. A framework is provided for understanding the 10 roles that government plays in improving health care quality and safety in the United States. Examples of proposed federal actions to reduce medical errors and enhance patient safety are provided to illustrate the 10 roles: (1) purchase health care, (2) provide health care, (3) ensure access to quality care for vulnerable populations, (4) regulate health care markets, (5) support acquisition of new knowledge, (6) develop and evaluate health technologies and practices, (7) monitor health care quality, (8) inform health care decision makers, (9) develop the health care workforce, and (10) convene stakeholders from across the health care system. Government's responsibility to protect and advance the interests of society includes the delivery of high-quality health care. Because the market alone cannot ensure all Americans access to quality health care, the government must preserve the interests of its citizens by supplementing the market where there are gaps and regulating the market where there is inefficiency or unfairness. The ultimate goal of achieving high quality of care will require strong partnerships among federal, state, and local governments and the private sector. Translating general principles regarding the appropriate role of government into specific actions within a rapidly changing, decentralized delivery system will require the combined efforts of the public and private sectors.

Competition for a better future? Effects of competition on child care quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akgündüz, Y.E.; Plantenga, J.

2013-01-01

Little is known about how competition affects child care centers’ quality. This paper examines the impact of competition on the quality of Dutch child care centers. The results show that high density of child care centers in an area improves scores in quality assessment measures. The positive

Improving Quality of Care in Primary Health-Care Facilities in Rural Nigeria: Successes and Challenges.

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Ugo, Okoli; Ezinne, Eze-Ajoku; Modupe, Oludipe; Nicole, Spieker; Winifred, Ekezie; Kelechi, Ohiri

2016-01-01

Nigeria has a high population density but a weak health-care system. To improve the quality of care, 3 organizations carried out a quality improvement pilot intervention at the primary health-care level in selected rural areas. To assess the change in quality of care in primary health-care facilities in rural Nigeria following the provision of technical governance support and to document the successes and challenges encountered. A total of 6 states were selected across the 6 geopolitical zones of the country. However, assessments were carried out in 40 facilities in only 5 states. Selection was based on location, coverage, and minimum services offered. The facilities were divided randomly into 2 groups. The treatment group received quality-of-care assessment, continuous feedback, and improvement support, whereas the control group received quality assessment and no other support. Data were collected using the SafeCare Healthcare Standards and managed on the SafeCare Data Management System-AfriDB. Eight core areas were assessed at baseline and end line, and compliance to quality health-care standards was compared. Outcomes from 40 facilities were accepted and analyzed. Overall scores increased in the treatment facilities compared to the control facilities, with strong evidence of improvement ( t = 5.28, P = .0004) and 11% average improvement, but no clear pattern of improvement emerged in the control group. The study demonstrated governance support and active community involvement offered potential for quality improvement in primary health-care facilities.

New Mexico Look for the STARS--AIM HIGH: QRS Profile. The Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment

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Child Trends, 2010

2010-01-01

This paper presents a profile of New Mexico's Look for the STARS--AIM HIGH prepared as part of the Child Care Quality Rating System (QRS) Assessment Study. The profile consists of several sections and their corresponding descriptions including: (1) Program Information; (2) Rating Details; (3) Quality Indicators for Center-Based Programs; (4)…

Next level of board accountability in health care quality.

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Pronovost, Peter J; Armstrong, C Michael; Demski, Renee; Peterson, Ronald R; Rothman, Paul B

2018-03-19

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer six principles that health system leaders can apply to establish a governance and management system for the quality of care and patient safety. Design/methodology/approach Leaders of a large academic health system set a goal of high reliability and formed a quality board committee in 2011 to oversee quality and patient safety everywhere care was delivered. Leaders of the health system and every entity, including inpatient hospitals, home care companies, and ambulatory services staff the committee. The committee works with the management for each entity to set and achieve quality goals. Through this work, the six principles emerged to address management structures and processes. Findings The principles are: ensure there is oversight for quality everywhere care is delivered under the health system; create a framework to organize and report the work; identify care areas where quality is ambiguous or underdeveloped (i.e. islands of quality) and work to ensure there is reporting and accountability for quality measures; create a consolidated quality statement similar to a financial statement; ensure the integrity of the data used to measure and report quality and safety performance; and transparently report performance and create an explicit accountability model. Originality/value This governance and management system for quality and safety functions similar to a finance system, with quality performance documented and reported, data integrity monitored, and accountability for performance from board to bedside. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first description of how a board has taken this type of systematic approach to oversee the quality of care.

[Quality management in intensive care medicine].

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Martin, J; Braun, J-P

2013-09-01

Treatment of critical ill patients in the intensive care unit is tantamount to well-designed risk or quality management. Several tools of quality management and quality assurance have been developed in intensive care medicine. In addition to extern quality assurance by benchmarking with regard to the intensive care medicine, peer review procedures have been established for external quality assurance in recent years. In the process of peer review of an intensive care unit (ICU), external physicians and nurses visit the ICU, evaluate on-site proceedings, and discuss with the managing team of the ICU possibilities for optimization. Furthermore, internal quality management in the ICU is possible based on the 10 quality indicators of the German Interdisciplinary Society for Intensive Care Medicine (DIVI, "Deutschen Interdisziplinären Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin"). Thereby every ICU has numerous possibilities to improve their quality management system.

Measuring Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Quality of Care: Discharge Self-Care Functional Status Quality Measure.

Science.gov (United States)

Pardasaney, Poonam K; Deutsch, Anne; Iriondo-Perez, Jeniffer; Ingber, Melvin J; McMullen, Tara

2018-06-01

To describe the calculation and psychometric properties of the discharge self-care functional status quality measure implemented in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Quality Reporting Program on October 1, 2016. Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) patients from 38 IRFs that participated in the CMS Post-Acute Care Payment Reform Demonstration were included in this cohort study. Data came from the Continuity Assessment Record and Evaluation Item Set, IRF-Patient Assessment Instrument, and Medicare claims. For each patient, we calculated an expected discharge self-care score, risk-adjusted for demographic and baseline clinical characteristics. The performance score of each IRF equaled the percentage of patient stays where the observed discharge self-care score met or exceeded the expected score. We assessed the measure's discriminatory ability across IRFs and reliability. IRFs. Medicare FFS patients aged ≥21 years (N=4769). Not applicable. Facility-level discharge self-care quality measure performance score. A total of 4769 patient stays were included; 57% of stays were in women, and 12.1% were in patients aged quality measure showed strong reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients of .91. The discharge self-care quality measure showed strong discriminatory ability and reliability, representing an important initial step in evaluation of IRF self-care outcomes. A wide range in performance scores suggested a gap in quality of care across IRFs. Future work should include testing the measure with nationwide data from all IRFs. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Quality Assessment in the Primary care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muharrem Ak

2013-04-01

Full Text Available -Quality Assessment in the Primary care Dear Editor; I have read the article titled as “Implementation of Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS at Primary Health Centre Durvesh” with great interest. Shrivastava et all concluded that assessment mechanism for the achievement of objectives for the suggested RKS model was not successful (1. Hereby I would like to emphasize the importance of quality assessment (QA especially in the era of newly established primary care implementations in our country. Promotion of quality has been fundamental part of primary care health services. Nevertheless variations in quality of care exist even in the developed countries. Accomplishment of quality in the primary care has some barriers like administration and directorial factors, absence of evidence-based medicine practice lack of continuous medical education. Quality of health care is no doubt multifaceted model that covers all components of health structures and processes of care. Quality in the primary care set up includes patient physician relationship, immunization, maternal, adolescent, adult and geriatric health care, referral, non-communicable disease management and prescribing (2. Most countries are recently beginning the implementation of quality assessments in all walks of healthcare. Organizations like European society for quality and safety in family practice (EQuiP endeavor to accomplish quality by collaboration. There are reported developments and experiments related to the methodology, processes and outcomes of quality assessments of health care. Quality assessments will not only contribute the accomplishment of the program / project but also detect the areas where obstacles also exist. In order to speed up the adoption of QA and to circumvent the occurrence of mistakes, health policy makers and family physicians from different parts of the world should share their experiences. Consensus on quality in preventive medicine implementations can help to yield

Quality of care for people with multimorbidity - a case series.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiøtz, Michaela L; Høst, Dorte; Christensen, Mikkel B; Domínguez, Helena; Hamid, Yasmin; Almind, Merete; Sørensen, Kim L; Saxild, Thomas; Holm, Rikke Høgsbro; Frølich, Anne

2017-11-18

Multimorbidity is becoming increasingly prevalent and presents challenges for healthcare providers and systems. Studies examining the relationship between multimorbidity and quality of care report mixed findings. The purpose of this study was to investigate quality of care for people with multimorbidity in the publicly funded healthcare system in Denmark. To investigate the quality of care for people with multimorbidity different groups of clinicians from the hospital, general practice and the municipality reviewed records from 23 persons with multimorbidity and discussed them in three focus groups. Before each focus group, clinicians were asked to review patients' medical records and assess their care by responding to a questionnaire. Medical records from 2013 from hospitals, general practice, and health centers in the local municipality were collected and linked for the 23 patients. Further, two clinical pharmacologists reviewed the appropriateness of medications listed in patient records. The review of the patients' records conducted by three groups of clinicians revealed that around half of the patients received adequate care for the single condition which prompted the episode of care such as a hospitalization, a visit to an outpatient clinic or the general practitioner. Further, the care provided to approximately two-thirds of the patients did not take comorbidities into account and insufficiently addressed more diffuse symptoms or problems. The review of the medication lists revealed that the majority of the medication lists contained inappropriate medications and that there were incongruity in medication listed in the primary and secondary care sector. Several barriers for providing high quality care were identified. These included relative short consultation times in general practice and outpatient clinics, lack of care coordinators, and lack of shared IT-system proving an overview of the treatment. Our findings reveal quality of care deficiencies for

Older Patients' Perspectives on Quality of Serious Illness Care in Primary Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Abu Al Hamayel, Nebras; Isenberg, Sarina R; Hannum, Susan M; Sixon, Joshua; Smith, Katherine Clegg; Dy, Sydney M

2018-01-01

Despite increased focus on measuring and improving quality of serious illness care, there has been little emphasis on the primary care context or incorporation of the patient perspective. To explore older patients' perspectives on the quality of serious illness care in primary care. Qualitative interview study. Twenty patients aged 60 or older who were at risk for or living with serious illness and who had participated in the clinic's quality improvement initiative. We used a semistructured, open-ended guide focusing on how older patients perceived quality of serious illness care, particularly in primary care. We transcribed interviews verbatim and inductively identified codes. We identified emergent themes using a thematic and constant comparative method. We identified 5 key themes: (1) the importance of patient-centered communication, (2) coordination of care, (3) the shared decision-making process, (4) clinician competence, and (5) access to care. Communication was an overarching theme that facilitated coordination of care between patients and their clinicians, empowered patients for shared decision-making, related to clinicians' perceived competence, and enabled access to primary and specialty care. Although access to care is not traditionally considered an aspect of quality, patients considered this integral to the quality of care they received. Patients perceived serious illness care as a key aspect of quality in primary care. Efforts to improve quality measurement and implementation of quality improvement initiatives in serious illness care should consider these aspects of care that patients deem important, particularly communication as an overarching priority.

Measuring relatives’ perspectives on the quality of palliative care: the Consumer Quality Index Palliative Care.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Claessen, S.J.J.; Francke, A.L.; Sixma, H.J.; Veer, A.J.E. de; Deliens, L.

2013-01-01

Context: A Consumer Quality Index (CQ-index) is a questionnaire assessing the actual care experiences and how important the recipient finds certain care aspects, as well as the priorities for improving quality. A CQ-index Palliative Care (CQ-index PC) for bereaved relatives was developed to measure

EVALUATION OF HEALTH CARE QUALITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zlatko Fras

2002-12-01

Full Text Available Background. It is possible to evaluate quality characteristics of different aspects of health care by many different measures. For these purposes, in various countries all over the world authorised institutions and/or agencies developed number of methodological accessories, criteria and tools for selection of more or less appropriately and optimally defined criteria and indicators of quality clinical performance.Conclusions. Recently we have started with activities for gradual introduction of systematic monitoring, assessment and improvement of quality of health care in Slovenia as well. One of the key prerequisites for selection of valid, practicable, efficient and reliable quality indicators is the establishment of continuous and methodologically appropriate system of development and implementation of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. We started this process within the framework of national Health Sector Management Project, where all potential key stakeholders from health care sector participated. Also the project on Quality in Health Care in Slovenia, started, leaded and performed by the Medical Chamber of Slovenia, represents one of the important parallel starting steps towards assurance of reliable data on development/establishment of appropriate set of quality indicators and standards of health care in our country.

Quality of care in European home care programs using the second generation interRAI Home Care Quality Indicators (HCQIs).

Science.gov (United States)

Foebel, Andrea D; van Hout, Hein P; van der Roest, Henriëtte G; Topinkova, Eva; Garms-Homolova, Vjenka; Frijters, Dinnus; Finne-Soveri, Harriet; Jónsson, Pálmi V; Hirdes, John P; Bernabei, Roberto; Onder, Graziano

2015-11-14

Evaluating the quality of care provided to older individuals is a key step to ensure that needs are being met and to target interventions to improve care. To this aim, interRAI's second-generation home care quality indicators (HCQIs) were developed in 2013. This study assesses the quality of home care services in six European countries using these HCQIs as well as the two derived summary scales. Data for this study were derived from the Aged in Home Care (AdHOC) study - a cohort study that examined different models of community care in European countries. The current study selected a sub-sample of the AdHOC cohort from six countries whose follow-up data were complete (Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands). Data were collected from the interRAI Home Care instrument (RAI-HC) between 2000 and 2002. The 23 HCQIs of interest were determined according to previously established methodology, including risk adjustment. Two summary measures, the Clinical Balance Scale and Independence Quality Scale were also determined using established methodology. A total of 1,354 individuals from the AdHOC study were included in these analyses. Of the 23 HCQIs that were measured, the highest proportion of individuals experienced declines in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) (48.4 %). Of the clinical quality indicators, mood decline was the most prevalent (30.0 %), while no flu vaccination and being alone and distressed were the most prevalent procedural and social quality indicators, respectively (33.4 and 12.8 %). Scores on the two summary scales varied by country, but were concentrated around the median mark. The interRAI HCQIs can be used to determine the quality of home care services in Europe and identify areas for improvement. Our results suggest functional declines may prove the most beneficial targets for interventions.

Headache service quality: evaluation of quality indicators in 14 specialist-care centres.

Science.gov (United States)

Schramm, Sara; Uluduz, Derya; Gouveia, Raquel Gil; Jensen, Rigmor; Siva, Aksel; Uygunoglu, Ugur; Gvantsa, Giorgadze; Mania, Maka; Braschinsky, Mark; Filatova, Elena; Latysheva, Nina; Osipova, Vera; Skorobogatykh, Kirill; Azimova, Julia; Straube, Andreas; Eren, Ozan Emre; Martelletti, Paolo; De Angelis, Valerio; Negro, Andrea; Linde, Mattias; Hagen, Knut; Radojicic, Aleksandra; Zidverc-Trajkovic, Jasna; Podgorac, Ana; Paemeleire, Koen; De Pue, Annelien; Lampl, Christian; Steiner, Timothy J; Katsarava, Zaza

2016-12-01

The study was a collaboration between Lifting The Burden (LTB) and the European Headache Federation (EHF). Its aim was to evaluate the implementation of quality indicators for headache care Europe-wide in specialist headache centres (level-3 according to the EHF/LTB standard). Employing previously-developed instruments in 14 such centres, we made enquiries, in each, of health-care providers (doctors, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists) and 50 patients, and analysed the medical records of 50 other patients. Enquiries were in 9 domains: diagnostic accuracy, individualized management, referral pathways, patient's education and reassurance, convenience and comfort, patient's satisfaction, equity and efficiency of the headache care, outcome assessment and safety. Our study showed that highly experienced headache centres treated their patients in general very well. The centres were content with their work and their patients were content with their treatment. Including disability and quality-of-life evaluations in clinical assessments, and protocols regarding safety, proved problematic: better standards for these are needed. Some centres had problems with follow-up: many specialised centres operated in one-touch systems, without possibility of controlling long-term management or the success of treatments dependent on this. This first Europe-wide quality study showed that the quality indicators were workable in specialist care. They demonstrated common trends, producing evidence of what is majority practice. They also uncovered deficits that might be remedied in order to improve quality. They offer the means of setting benchmarks against which service quality may be judged. The next step is to take the evaluation process into non-specialist care (EHF/LTB levels 1 and 2).

Patients living with disabilities: The need for high-quality primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Lofters, Aisha; Guilcher, Sara; Maulkhan, Niraj; Milligan, James; Lee, Joseph

2016-08-01

To compare the potential risk factors for lower-quality primary care, the potential markers of unmet needs in primary care, and the willingness to participate in future research among primary care patients with versus without physical disabilities. A waiting room survey using a convenience sample. A family health team (FHT) in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont, with a designated Mobility Clinic. A total of 40 patients seen at the FHT Mobility Clinic and 80 patients from the general patient population of the same FHT. Socioeconomic status and social capital, number of self-reported emergency department visits and hospitalizations in the preceding year, and willingness of the patients in the 2 groups to participate in future research studies. Patients from the Mobility Clinic were more than twice as likely to be receiving benefits or social assistance (75.0% vs 32.1%, P data for research, 82.5% of Mobility Clinic patients agreed versus 55.0% of those in the general patient population (P = .004). In this study, patients with disabilities were at a social disadvantage compared with their peers without disabilities and were more likely to use the emergency department, suggesting that they had unmet health needs. Future research should continue to explore this patient population and to investigate if an interprofessional primary health care team approach focused on patients with disabilities can help to increase quality of care. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Correlation of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Performance Across Multiple Measures of Quality of Care

Science.gov (United States)

Profit, J; Zupancic, JAF; Gould, JB; Pietz, K; Kowalkowski, MA; Draper, D; Hysong, SJ; Petersen, LA

2014-01-01

Objectives To examine whether high performance on one measure of quality is associated with high performance on others and to develop a data-driven explanatory model of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) performance. Design We conducted a cross-sectional data analysis of a statewide perinatal care database. Risk-adjusted NICU ranks were computed for each of 8 measures of quality selected based on expert input. Correlations across measures were tested using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine whether underlying factors were driving the correlations. Setting Twenty-two regional NICUs in California. Patients In total, 5445 very low-birth-weight infants cared for between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2007. Main Outcomes Measures Pneumothorax, growth velocity, health care–associated infection, antenatal corticosteroid use, hypothermia during the first hour of life, chronic lung disease, mortality in the NICU, and discharge on any human breast milk. Results The NICUs varied substantially in their clinical performance across measures of quality. Of 28 unit-level correlations only 6 were significant (P quality measures were strong (ρ > .5) for 1 pair, moderate (.3 quality in this sample. Pneumothorax, mortality in the NICU, and antenatal corticosteroid use loaded on factor 1; growth velocity and health care–associated infection loaded on factor 2; chronic lung disease loaded on factor 3; and discharge on any human breast milk loaded on factor 4. Conclusion In this sample, the ability of individual measures of quality to explain overall quality of neonatal intensive care was modest. PMID:23403539

Quality of care in Norwegian nursing homes - typology of family perceptions.

Science.gov (United States)

Vinsnes, Anne G; Nakrem, Sigrid; Harkless, Gene E; Seim, Arnfinn

2012-01-01

This study aimed to elucidate the understandings and beliefs about quality held by family members of residents of Norwegian nursing homes. The objective reported in the study considers how family member judge factors that enhance or hamper high care quality. The percentage of those who will require care in a nursing home some time before the end of their lives will increase dramatically in the next 20 years. Therefore, anticipating this pressure to expand nursing home availability, it is urgent that these services are developed from a keen understanding of what creates the best value. Care quality from the family's perspective is just one piece of the nursing home experience that must be understood for optimal value in care to be realised. Qualitative methodology. Three focus group interviews; purposive sampling was used to recruit the 16 family members of residents in nursing homes. Three domains emerged that served as anchors for a typology of family perceptions of the quality care continuum: resident contentment, suitability of staff and environmental context. Each domain was developed with categories describing high- to low-quality markers, which were then clarified by enhancing and hindering factors. This typology provides a family perspective framework that may be useful to nursing leadership at all levels of the nursing home organisation to identify important quality of care strengths as well as markers of poor care. Overall, the typology is offered to expand nurses' understanding of quality, both practically and conceptually, to provide the best value in nursing care. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

High-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation: current and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Abella, Benjamin S

2016-06-01

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) represents the cornerstone of cardiac arrest resuscitation care. Prompt delivery of high-quality CPR can dramatically improve survival outcomes; however, the definitions of optimal CPR have evolved over several decades. The present review will discuss the metrics of CPR delivery, and the evidence supporting the importance of CPR quality to improve clinical outcomes. The introduction of new technologies to quantify metrics of CPR delivery has yielded important insights into CPR quality. Investigations using CPR recording devices have allowed the assessment of specific CPR performance parameters and their relative importance regarding return of spontaneous circulation and survival to hospital discharge. Additional work has suggested new opportunities to measure physiologic markers during CPR and potentially tailor CPR delivery to patient requirements. Through recent laboratory and clinical investigations, a more evidence-based definition of high-quality CPR continues to emerge. Exciting opportunities now exist to study quantitative metrics of CPR and potentially guide resuscitation care in a goal-directed fashion. Concepts of high-quality CPR have also informed new approaches to training and quality improvement efforts for cardiac arrest care.

Work stress, burnout, and perceived quality of care: a cross-sectional study among hospital pediatricians.

Science.gov (United States)

Weigl, M; Schneider, A; Hoffmann, F; Angerer, P

2015-09-01

Poor hospital work environments affect physicians' work stress. With a focus on hospital pediatricians, we sought to investigate associations between work stress, burnout, and quality of care. A cross-sectional study was conducted in N = 96 pediatricians of a German academic children's hospital (response rate = 73.8 %). All variables were assessed with standardized questionnaires. Multivariate regression analyses were applied to investigate associations after adjusting for potential confounders. Critically high work stress (effort/reward ratio, ERR > 1.0) was reported by N = 25 (28.4 %) participants. Pediatricians in inpatient wards had significantly more work stress than their colleagues in intensive care units and outpatient wards; 10.2 % of surveyed pediatricians reported critically high burnout. Again, inpatient ward staff reported significantly increased emotional exhaustion. After controlling for several confounders, we found that pediatricians with high work stress and emotional exhaustion reported reduced quality of care. Mediation analyses revealed that especially pediatricians' emotional exhaustion partially mediated the effect of work stress on quality of care. Results demonstrate close relationships between increased work stress and burnout as well as diminished quality of care. High work stress environments in pediatric care influence mental health of pediatricians as well as quality of patient care. • The quality of pediatricians' work environment in the hospital is associated with their work stress and burnout. • The consequences of pediatricians' work life for the quality of care need to be addressed in order to inform interventions to improve work life and care quality. • Our study shows associations between increased work stress and burnout with mitigated quality of care. • Beyond indirect effects of work stress through emotional exhaustion on quality of care we also observed direct detrimental effects of pediatricians

Health care in small prisons: incorporating high-quality standards.

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Rieder, Jean-Pierre; Casillas, Alejandra; Mary, Gérard; Secretan, Anne-Dominique; Gaspoz, Jean-Michel; Wolff, Hans

2013-01-01

In the past, health management in Geneva's six post-trial prisons had been variable and inconsistent. In 2008, the unit of penitentiary medicine of the Geneva University Hospitals was mandated to re-organize and provide health care at all six prison facilities. The specific aim of this paper is to outline the example as a practical solution to some of the common challenges in unifying the structure and process of health services across multiple small facilities, while meeting European prison health and local quality standards. Geneva's post-trial prisons are small and close to one another in geographical proximity - ideal conditions for the construction of a health mobile team (HMT). This multidisciplinary mobile team operated like a community ambulatory care model; it was progressively launched in all prison facilities in Geneva. The authors incorporated an implementation strategy where health providers partnered with prison and community stakeholders in the health delivery model's development and adaption process. The model's strategic initiatives are described along the following areas, in light of other international prison health activity and prior care models: access to a health care professional, equivalence of care, patient consent, confidentiality, humanitarian interventions, and professional competence and independence. From the perspective of the HMT members, the authors provide the "lessons learned" through this experience, especially to providers who are working on prison health services reform and coordination improvement. The paper particularly stresses the importance of partnering with community health stakeholders and prison staff, a key component to the approach.

Improving organizational climate for quality and quality of care: does membership in a collaborative help?

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Nembhard, Ingrid M; Northrup, Veronika; Shaller, Dale; Cleary, Paul D

2012-11-01

The lack of quality-oriented organizational climates is partly responsible for deficiencies in patient-centered care and poor quality more broadly. To improve their quality-oriented climates, several organizations have joined quality improvement collaboratives. The effectiveness of this approach is unknown. To evaluate the impact of collaborative membership on organizational climate for quality and service quality. Twenty-one clinics, 4 of which participated in a collaborative sponsored by the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. Pre-post design. Preassessments occurred 2 months before the collaborative began in January 2009. Postassessments of service quality and climate occurred about 6 months and 1 year, respectively, after the collaborative ended in January 2010. We surveyed clinic employees (eg, physicians, nurses, receptionists, etc.) about the organizational climate and patients about service quality. Prioritization of quality care, high-quality staff relationships, and open communication as indicators of quality-oriented climate and timeliness of care, staff helpfulness, doctor-patient communication, rating of doctor, and willingness to recommend doctor's office as indicators of service quality. There was no significant effect of collaborative membership on quality-oriented climate and mixed effects on service quality. Doctors' ratings improved significantly more in intervention clinics than in control clinics, staff helpfulness improved less, and timeliness of care declined more. Ratings of doctor-patient communication and willingness to recommend doctor were not significantly different between intervention and comparison clinics. Membership in the collaborative provided no significant advantage for improving quality-oriented climate and had equivocal effects on service quality.

Assessing Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care

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Ishimine, Karin; Tayler, Collette

2014-01-01

Evaluating quality in early childhood education and care (ECEC) service internationally is increasingly important. Research to date indicates that it is "high-quality" programmes that boost and sustain children's achievement outcomes over time. There is also growing interest in the accountability of public funds used for ECEC…

Leadership, staffing and quality of care in nursing homes

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Leadership and staffing are recognised as important factors for quality of care. This study examines the effects of ward leaders' task- and relationship-oriented leadership styles, staffing levels, ratio of registered nurses and ratio of unlicensed staff on three independent measures of quality of care. Methods A cross-sectional survey of forty nursing home wards throughout Norway was used to collect the data. Five sources of data were utilised: self-report questionnaires to 444 employees, interviews with and questionnaires to 13 nursing home directors and 40 ward managers, telephone interviews with 378 relatives and 900 hours of field observations. Separate multi-level analyses were conducted for quality of care assessed by relatives, staff and field observations respectively. Results Task-oriented leadership style had a significant positive relationship with two of the three quality of care indexes. In contrast, relationship-oriented leadership style was not significantly related to any of the indexes. The lack of significant effect for relationship-oriented leadership style was due to a strong correlation between the two leadership styles (r = 0.78). Staffing levels and ratio of registered nurses were not significantly related to any of the quality of care indexes. The ratio of unlicensed staff, however, showed a significant negative relationship to quality as assessed by relatives and field observations, but not to quality as assessed by staff. Conclusions Leaders in nursing homes should focus on active leadership and particularly task-oriented behaviour like structure, coordination, clarifying of staff roles and monitoring of operations to increase quality of care. Furthermore, nursing homes should minimize use of unlicensed staff and address factors related to high ratios of unlicensed staff, like low staff stability. The study indicates, however, that the relationship between staffing levels, ratio of registered nurses and quality of care is

Leadership, staffing and quality of care in nursing homes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Havig Anders

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Leadership and staffing are recognised as important factors for quality of care. This study examines the effects of ward leaders' task- and relationship-oriented leadership styles, staffing levels, ratio of registered nurses and ratio of unlicensed staff on three independent measures of quality of care. Methods A cross-sectional survey of forty nursing home wards throughout Norway was used to collect the data. Five sources of data were utilised: self-report questionnaires to 444 employees, interviews with and questionnaires to 13 nursing home directors and 40 ward managers, telephone interviews with 378 relatives and 900 hours of field observations. Separate multi-level analyses were conducted for quality of care assessed by relatives, staff and field observations respectively. Results Task-oriented leadership style had a significant positive relationship with two of the three quality of care indexes. In contrast, relationship-oriented leadership style was not significantly related to any of the indexes. The lack of significant effect for relationship-oriented leadership style was due to a strong correlation between the two leadership styles (r = 0.78. Staffing levels and ratio of registered nurses were not significantly related to any of the quality of care indexes. The ratio of unlicensed staff, however, showed a significant negative relationship to quality as assessed by relatives and field observations, but not to quality as assessed by staff. Conclusions Leaders in nursing homes should focus on active leadership and particularly task-oriented behaviour like structure, coordination, clarifying of staff roles and monitoring of operations to increase quality of care. Furthermore, nursing homes should minimize use of unlicensed staff and address factors related to high ratios of unlicensed staff, like low staff stability. The study indicates, however, that the relationship between staffing levels, ratio of registered nurses

Quality of Health Care for Children in Australia, 2012-2013.

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Braithwaite, Jeffrey; Hibbert, Peter D; Jaffe, Adam; White, Les; Cowell, Christopher T; Harris, Mark F; Runciman, William B; Hallahan, Andrew R; Wheaton, Gavin; Williams, Helena M; Murphy, Elisabeth; Molloy, Charlotte J; Wiles, Louise K; Ramanathan, Shanthi; Arnolda, Gaston; Ting, Hsuen P; Hooper, Tamara D; Szabo, Natalie; Wakefield, John G; Hughes, Clifford F; Schmiede, Annette; Dalton, Chris; Dalton, Sarah; Holt, Joanna; Donaldson, Liam; Kelley, Ed; Lilford, Richard; Lachman, Peter; Muething, Stephen

2018-03-20

The quality of routine care for children is rarely assessed, and then usually in single settings or for single clinical conditions. To estimate the quality of health care for children in Australia in inpatient and ambulatory health care settings. Multistage stratified sample with medical record review to assess adherence with quality indicators extracted from clinical practice guidelines for 17 common, high-burden clinical conditions (noncommunicable [n = 5], mental health [n = 4], acute infection [n = 7], and injury [n = 1]), such as asthma, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, tonsillitis, and head injury. For these 17 conditions, 479 quality indicators were identified, with the number varying by condition, ranging from 9 for eczema to 54 for head injury. Four hundred medical records were targeted for sampling for each of 15 conditions while 267 records were targeted for anxiety and 133 for depression. Within each selected medical record, all visits for the 17 targeted conditions were identified, and separate quality assessments made for each. Care was evaluated for 6689 children 15 years of age and younger who had 15 240 visits to emergency departments, for inpatient admissions, or to pediatricians and general practitioners in selected urban and rural locations in 3 Australian states. These visits generated 160 202 quality indicator assessments. Quality indicators were identified through a systematic search of local and international guidelines. Individual indicators were extracted from guidelines and assessed using a 2-stage Delphi process. Quality of care for each clinical condition and overall. Of 6689 children with surveyed medical records, 53.6% were aged 0 to 4 years and 55.5% were male. Adherence to quality of care indicators was estimated at 59.8% (95% CI, 57.5%-62.0%; n = 160 202) across the 17 conditions, ranging from a high of 88.8% (95% CI, 83.0%-93.1%; n = 2638) for autism to a low of 43.5% (95% CI, 36.8%-50.4%; n�

The influence of nursing care integration services on nurses' work satisfaction and quality of nursing care.

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Ryu, Jeong-Im; Kim, Kisook

2018-06-20

To investigate differences in work satisfaction and quality of nursing services between nurses from the nursing care integration service and general nursing units in Korea. The nursing care integration service was recently introduced in Korea to improve patient health outcomes through the provision of high quality nursing services and to relieve the caregiving burden of patients' families. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from a convenience sample of 116 and 156 nurses working in nursing care integration service and general units, respectively. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t tests and one-way analysis of variance. Regarding work satisfaction, nursing care integration service nurses scored higher than general unit nurses on professional status, autonomy and task requirements, but the overall scores showed no significant differences. Scores on overall quality of nursing services, responsiveness and assurance were higher for nursing care integration service nurses than for general unit nurses. Nursing care integration service nurses scored higher than general unit nurses on some aspects of work satisfaction and quality of nursing services. Further studies with larger sample sizes will contribute to improving the quality of nursing care integration service units. These findings can help to establish strategies for the implementation and efficient operation of the nursing care integration service system, for the improvement of the quality of nursing services, and for successfully implementing and expanding nursing care integration service services in other countries. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Measuring the quality of therapeutic apheresis care in the pediatric intensive care unit.

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Sussmane, Jeffrey B; Torbati, Dan; Gitlow, Howard S

2012-01-01

Our goal was to measure the quality of care provided in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) during Therapeutic Apheresis (TA). We described the care as a step by step process. We designed a flow chart to carefully document each step of the process. We then defined each step with a unique clinical indictor (CI) that represented the exact task we felt provided quality care. These CIs were studied and modified for 1 year. We measured our performance in this process by the number of times we accomplished the CI vs. the total number of CIs that were to be performed. The degree of compliance, with these clinical indicators, was analyzed and used as a metric for quality by calculating how close the process is running exactly as planned or "in control." The Apheresis Process was in control (compliance) for 47% of the indicators, as measured in the aggregate for the first observational year. We then applied the theory of Total Quality Management (TQM) through our Design, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) model. We were able to improve the process and bring it into control by increasing the compliance to > 99.74%, in the aggregate, for the third and fourth quarter of the second year. We have implemented TQM to increase compliance, thus control, of a highly complex and multidisciplinary Pediatric Intensive Care therapy. We have shown a reproducible and scalable measure of quality for a complex clinical process in the PICU, without additional capital expenditure. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

[Care quality in intensive care evaluated by the patients using a service quality scale (SERVQUAL)].

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Regaira Martínez, E; Sola Iriarte, M; Goñi Viguria, R; Del Barrio Linares, M; Margall Coscojuela, M A; Asiain Erro, M C

2010-01-01

The evaluation made by the patients on the quality of service received is important to introduce improvement strategies in the care quality. 1. To evaluate the care quality through the analysis of the differences obtained between expectations and perceptions, that the patients have of the service received in the ICU. 2. To analyze if there is any relationship between care quality evaluated by the patients and the sociodemographic variables. A total of 86 patients who were conscious and oriented during their stay in the ICU were studied prospectively. At 24h of the discharge from the ICU, the SERVQUAL (Service Quality) scale, adapted for the hospital setting by Babakus and Mangold (1992), was applied. This scale measures the care quality based on the difference in scores obtained between expectations and perceptions of the patients. The positive scores indicate that the perceptions of the patients exceed their expectations. The scale has 5 dimensions: Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurances and Empathy. It includes 15 items for perceptions and the same for expectations, with 5 grades of response (1 totally disagree - 5 totally agree). The mean score of perceptions 66.92) exceeded that of the expectations (62.30). The mean score of the difference between perceptions and expectations for the total of the SERVQUAL scale was 4.62. It was also positive for each one of the dimensions: Tangibility=1.44, Reliability=0.53, Responsiveness=0.95, Assurances=0.99, Empathy=0.71. No statistically significant associations were found between care quality evaluated by the patients and the sociodemographic variables. The care quality perceived by the patients in the ICU exceeds their expectations, and had no relationship with the sociodemographic characteristics. Copyright 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. y SEEIUC. All rights reserved.

Nurse care manager contribution to quality of care in a dual-eligible special needs plan.

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Roth, Carol P; Ganz, David A; Nickles, Lorraine; Martin, David; Beckman, Robin; Wenger, Neil S

2012-07-01

We evaluated the quality of care provided to older patients with complex needs in a dual-eligible, community-based Medicare Special Needs Plan that used a nurse care manager model. Care provided by physicians was substantially supplemented by nurse care managers, as measured by Assessing Care of Vulnerable Elders quality indicators. We describe selected nurse care manager activities for six geriatric conditions (falls, dementia, depression, nutrition, urinary incontinence, and end-of-life care) during provision of patient care coordination and management for patients in the highest decile of clinical complexity. We identify areas of high nurse performance (i.e., falls screening, functional assessment, behavioral interventions for dementia problems, advance care planning) and areas of potential missed opportunities (i.e., follow up for new memory problems, targeted dementia counseling, nutrition, and behavioral approaches to urinary incontinence). Increasing the collaborative interaction between nurses providing care in this model and physicians has the potential to enhance nurses' contributions to primary care for vulnerable older adults.

Quality of care in the intensive care unit from the perspective of patient's relatives: development and psychometric evaluation of the consumer quality index 'R-ICU'.

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Rensen, Ans; van Mol, Margo M; Menheere, Ilse; Nijkamp, Marjan D; Verhoogt, Ellen; Maris, Bea; Manders, Willeke; Vloet, Lilian; Verharen, Lisbeth

2017-01-24

The quality standards of the Dutch Society of Intensive Care require monitoring of the satisfaction of patient's relatives with respect to care. Currently, no suitable instrument is available in the Netherlands to measure this. This study describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire-based Consumer Quality Index 'Relatives in Intensive Care Unit' (CQI 'R-ICU'). The CQI 'R-ICU' measures the perceived quality of care from the perspective of patients' relatives, and identifies aspects of care that need improvement. The CQI 'R-ICU' was developed using a mixed method design. Items were based on quality of care aspects from earlier studies and from focus group interviews with patients' relatives. The time period for the data collection of the psychometric evaluation was from October 2011 until July 2012. Relatives of adult intensive care patients in one university hospital and five general hospitals in the Netherlands were approached to participate. Psychometric evaluation included item analysis, inter-item analysis, and factor analysis. Twelve aspects were noted as being indicators of quality of care, and were subsequently selected for the questionnaire's vocabulary. The response rate of patients' relatives was 81% (n = 455). Quality of care was represented by two clusters, each showing a high reliability: 'Communication' (α = .80) and 'Participation' (α = .84). Relatives ranked the following aspects for quality of care as most important: no conflicting information, information from doctors and nurses is comprehensive, and health professionals take patients' relatives seriously. The least important care aspects were: need for contact with peers, nuisance, and contact with a spiritual counsellor. Aspects that needed the most urgent improvement (highest quality improvement scores) were: information about how relatives can contribute to the care of the patient, information about the use of meal-facilities in the hospital, and

Quality assessment of palliative home care in Italy.

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Scaccabarozzi, Gianlorenzo; Lovaglio, Pietro Giorgio; Limonta, Fabrizio; Floriani, Maddalena; Pellegrini, Giacomo

2017-08-01

The complexity of end-of-life care, represented by a large number of units caring for dying patients, of different types of organizations motivates the importance of measure the quality of provided care. Despite the law 38/2010 promulgated to remove the barriers and provide affordable access to palliative care, measurement, and monitoring of processes of home care providers in Italy has not been attempted. Using data drawn by an institutional voluntary observatory established in Italy in 2013, collecting home palliative care units caring for people between January and December 2013, we assess the degree to which Italian home palliative care teams endorse a set of standards required by the 38/2010 law and best practices as emerged from the literature. The evaluation strategy is based on Rasch analysis, allowing to objectively measuring both performances of facilities and quality indicators' difficulty on the same metric, using 14 quality indicators identified by the observatory's steering committee. Globally, 195 home care teams were registered in the observatory reporting globally 40 955 cured patients in 2013 representing 66% of the population of home palliative care units active in Italy in 2013. Rasch analysis identifies 5 indicators ("interview" with caregivers, continuous training provided to medical and nursing staff, provision of specialized multidisciplinary interventions, psychological support to the patient and family, and drug supply at home) easy to endorse by health care providers and 3 problematic indicators (presence of a formally established Local Network of Palliative care in the area of reference, provision of the care for most problematic patient requiring high intensity of the care, and the percentage of cancer patient dying at Home). The lack of Local Network of Palliative care, required by law 38/2010, is, at the present, the main barrier to its application. However, the adopted methodology suggests that a clear roadmap for health facilities

Quality tools and resources to support organisational improvement integral to high-quality primary care: a systematic review of published and grey literature.

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Janamian, Tina; Upham, Susan J; Crossland, Lisa; Jackson, Claire L

2016-04-18

To conduct a systematic review of the literature to identify existing online primary care quality improvement tools and resources to support organisational improvement related to the seven elements in the Primary Care Practice Improvement Tool (PC-PIT), with the identified tools and resources to progress to a Delphi study for further assessment of relevance and utility. Systematic review of the international published and grey literature. CINAHL, Embase and PubMed databases were searched in March 2014 for articles published between January 2004 and December 2013. GreyNet International and other relevant websites and repositories were also searched in March-April 2014 for documents dated between 1992 and 2012. All citations were imported into a bibliographic database. Published and unpublished tools and resources were included in the review if they were in English, related to primary care quality improvement and addressed any of the seven PC-PIT elements of a high-performing practice. Tools and resources that met the eligibility criteria were then evaluated for their accessibility, relevance, utility and comprehensiveness using a four-criteria appraisal framework. We used a data extraction template to systematically extract information from eligible tools and resources. A content analysis approach was used to explore the tools and resources and collate relevant information: name of the tool or resource, year and country of development, author, name of the organisation that provided access and its URL, accessibility information or problems, overview of each tool or resource and the quality improvement element(s) it addresses. If available, a copy of the tool or resource was downloaded into the bibliographic database, along with supporting evidence (published or unpublished) on its use in primary care. This systematic review identified 53 tools and resources that can potentially be provided as part of a suite of tools and resources to support primary care practices in

Do competition and managed care improve quality?

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Sari, Nazmi

2002-10-01

In recent years, the US health care industry has experienced a rapid growth of managed care, formation of networks, and an integration of hospitals. This paper provides new insights about the quality consequences of this dynamic in US hospital markets. I empirically investigate the impact of managed care and hospital competition on quality using in-hospital complications as quality measures. I use random and fixed effects, and instrumental variable fixed effect models using hospital panel data from up to 16 states in the 1992-1997 period. The paper has two important findings: First, higher managed care penetration increases the quality, when inappropriate utilization, wound infections and adverse/iatrogenic complications are used as quality indicators. For other complication categories, coefficient estimates are statistically insignificant. These findings do not support the straightforward view that increases in managed care penetration are associated with decreases in quality. Second, both higher hospital market share and market concentration are associated with lower quality of care. Hospital mergers have undesirable quality consequences. Appropriate antitrust policies towards mergers should consider not only price and cost but also quality impacts. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The quality-value proposition in health care.

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Feazell, G Landon; Marren, John P

2003-01-01

Powerful forces are converging in US health care to finally cause recognition of the inherently logical relationship between quality and money. The forces, or marketplace "drivers," which are converging to compel recognition of the relationship between cost and quality are: (1) the increasing costs of care; (2) the recurrence of another medical malpractice crisis; and (3) the recognition inside and outside of health care that quality is inconsistent and unacceptable. It is apparent that hospital administrators, financial officers, board members, and medical staff leadership do not routinely do two things: (1) relate quality to finance; and (2) appreciate the intra-hospital structural problems that impede quality attainment. This article discusses these factors and offers a positive method for re-structuring quality efforts and focusing the hospital and its medical staff on quality. The simple but compelling thesis of the authors is that health care must immediately engage in the transformation to making quality of medical care the fundamental business strategy of the organization.

Inpatient Volume and Quality of Mental Health Care Among Patients With Unipolar Depression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Line Ryberg; Mainz, Jan; Jørgensen, Mette

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between inpatient volume and the quality of mental health care remains unclear. This study examined the association between inpatient volume in psychiatric hospital wards and quality of mental health care among patients with depression admitted to wards in Denmark...... was assessed by receipt of process performance measures reflecting national clinical guidelines for care of depression. RESULTS: Compared with patients admitted to low-volume psychiatric hospital wards, patients admitted to very-high-volume wards were more likely to receive a high overall quality of mental...... wards was associated with a greater chance of receiving guideline-recommended process performance measures for care of depression....

Is quality of care a key predictor of perinatal health care utilization and patient satisfaction in Malawi?

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Creanga, Andreea A; Gullo, Sara; Kuhlmann, Anne K Sebert; Msiska, Thumbiko W; Galavotti, Christine

2017-05-22

The Malawi government encourages early antenatal care, delivery in health facilities, and timely postnatal care. Efforts to sustain or increase current levels of perinatal service utilization may not achieve desired gains if the quality of care provided is neglected. This study examined predictors of perinatal service utilization and patients' satisfaction with these services with a focus on quality of care. We used baseline, two-stage cluster sampling household survey data collected between November and December, 2012 before implementation of CARE's Community Score Card© intervention in Ntcheu district, Malawi. Women with a birth during the last year (N = 1301) were asked about seeking: 1) family planning, 2) antenatal, 3) delivery, and 4) postnatal care; the quality of care received; and their overall satisfaction with the care received. Specific quality of care items were assessed for each type of service, and up to five such items per type of service were used in analyses. Separate logistic regression models were fitted to examine predictors of family planning, antenatal, delivery, and postnatal service utilization and of complete satisfaction with each of these services; all models were adjusted for women's socio-demographic characteristics, perceptions of the closest facility to their homes, service use indicators, and quality of care items. We found higher levels of perinatal service use than previously documented in Malawi (baseline antenatal care 99.4%; skilled birth attendance 97.3%; postnatal care 77.5%; current family planning use 52.8%). Almost 73% of quality of perinatal care items assessed were favorably reported by > 90% of women. Women reported high overall satisfaction (≥85%) with all types of services examined, higher for antenatal and postnatal care than for family planning and delivery care. We found significant associations between perceived and actual quality of care and both women's use and satisfaction with the perinatal health

Living with diabetes: quality of care and quality of life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pilar Isla Pera

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Pilar Isla PeraDepartment of Public Health Nursing, Mental and Mother and Child Health, University of Barcelona, SpainBackground: The aim of this research was to characterize the experience of living with diabetes mellitus (DM and identify patients’ opinions of the quality of care received and the results of interventions.Methods: A descriptive, exploratory evaluation study using qualitative methodology was performed. Participants consisted of 40 adult patients diagnosed with DM and followed up in a public hospital in Barcelona, Spain. A semistructured interview and a focus group were used and a thematic content analysis was performed.Results: Patients described DM as a disease that is difficult to control and that provokes lifestyle changes requiring effort and sacrifice. Insulin treatment increased the perception of disease severity. The most frequent and dreaded complication was hypoglycemia. The main problems perceived by patients affecting the quality of care were related to a disease-centered medical approach, lack of information, limited participation in decision-making, and the administrative and bureaucratic problems of the health care system.Conclusion: The bureaucratic circuits of the health care system impair patients’ quality of life and perceived quality of care. Health professionals should foster patient participation in decision-making. However, this requires not only training and appropriate attitudes, but also adequate staffing and materials.Keywords: diabetes mellitus, health care quality, quality of life, qualitative research

Job satisfaction of primary care team members and quality of care.

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Mohr, David C; Young, Gary J; Meterko, Mark; Stolzmann, Kelly L; White, Bert

2011-01-01

In recent years, hospitals and payers have increased their efforts to improve the quality of patient care by encouraging provider adherence to evidence-based practices. Although the individual provider is certainly essential in the delivery of appropriate care, a team perspective is important when examining variation in quality. In the present study, the authors modeled the relationship between a measure of aggregate job satisfaction for members of primary care teams and objective measures of quality based on process indicators and intermediate outcomes. Multilevel analyses indicated that aggregate job satisfaction ratings were associated with higher values on both types of quality measures. Team-level job satisfaction ratings are a potentially important marker for the effectiveness of primary care teams in managing patient care.

Meeting the milestones. Strategies for including high-value care education in pulmonary and critical care fellowship training.

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Courtright, Katherine R; Weinberger, Steven E; Wagner, Jason

2015-04-01

Physician decision making is partially responsible for the roughly 30% of U.S. healthcare expenditures that are wasted annually on low-value care. In response to both the widespread public demand for higher-quality care and the cost crisis, payers are transitioning toward value-based payment models whereby physicians are rewarded for high-value, cost-conscious care. Furthermore, to target physicians in training to practice with cost awareness, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has created both individual objective milestones and institutional requirements to incorporate quality improvement and cost awareness into fellowship training. Subsequently, some professional medical societies have initiated high-value care educational campaigns, but the overwhelming majority target either medical students or residents in training. Currently, there are few resources available to help guide subspecialty fellowship programs to successfully design durable high-value care curricula. The resource-intensive nature of pulmonary and critical care medicine offers unique opportunities for the specialty to lead in modeling and teaching high-value care. To ensure that fellows graduate with the capability to practice high-value care, we recommend that fellowship programs focus on four major educational domains. These include fostering a value-based culture, providing a robust didactic experience, engaging trainees in process improvement projects, and encouraging scholarship. In doing so, pulmonary and critical care educators can strive to train future physicians who are prepared to provide care that is both high quality and informed by cost awareness.

Manager traits and quality-of-care performance in hospitals.

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Aij, Kjeld Harald; Aernoudts, René L M C; Joosten, Gepke

2015-07-06

This paper aims to assess the impact of the leadership traits of chief executive officers (CEOs) on hospital performance in the USA. The effectiveness and efficiency of the CEO is of critical importance to the performance of any organization, including hospitals. Management systems and manager behaviours (traits) are of crucial importance to any organization because of their connection with organizational performance. To identify key factors associated with the quality of care delivered by hospitals, the authors gathered perceptions of manager traits from chief executive officers (CEOs) and followers in three groups of US hospitals delivering different levels of quality of care performance. Three high- and three low-performing hospitals were selected from the top and bottom 20th percentiles, respectively, using a national hospital ranking system based on standard quality of care performance measures. Three lean hospitals delivering intermediate performance were also selected. A survey was used to gather perceptions of manager traits (providing a modern or lean management system inclination) from CEOs and their followers in the three groups, which were compared. Four traits were found to be significantly different (alpha management inclination. No differences were found between lean (intermediate-) and high-performing hospitals, or between high- and low-performing hospitals. These findings support a need for hospital managers to acquire appropriate traits to achieve lean transformation, support a benefit of measuring manager traits to assess progress towards lean transformation and lend weight to improved quality of care that can be delivered by hospitals adopting a lean system of management.

Quality of care for people with multimorbidity – a case series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michaela L. Schiøtz

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Multimorbidity is becoming increasingly prevalent and presents challenges for healthcare providers and systems. Studies examining the relationship between multimorbidity and quality of care report mixed findings. The purpose of this study was to investigate quality of care for people with multimorbidity in the publicly funded healthcare system in Denmark. Methods To investigate the quality of care for people with multimorbidity different groups of clinicians from the hospital, general practice and the municipality reviewed records from 23 persons with multimorbidity and discussed them in three focus groups. Before each focus group, clinicians were asked to review patients’ medical records and assess their care by responding to a questionnaire. Medical records from 2013 from hospitals, general practice, and health centers in the local municipality were collected and linked for the 23 patients. Further, two clinical pharmacologists reviewed the appropriateness of medications listed in patient records. Results The review of the patients’ records conducted by three groups of clinicians revealed that around half of the patients received adequate care for the single condition which prompted the episode of care such as a hospitalization, a visit to an outpatient clinic or the general practitioner. Further, the care provided to approximately two-thirds of the patients did not take comorbidities into account and insufficiently addressed more diffuse symptoms or problems. The review of the medication lists revealed that the majority of the medication lists contained inappropriate medications and that there were incongruity in medication listed in the primary and secondary care sector. Several barriers for providing high quality care were identified. These included relative short consultation times in general practice and outpatient clinics, lack of care coordinators, and lack of shared IT-system proving an overview of the treatment

The Quality of Toddler Child Care and Cognitive Skills at 24 Months: Propensity Score Analysis Results from the ECLS-B

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Ruzek, Erik; Burchinal, Margaret; Farkas, George; Duncan, Greg J.

2013-01-01

Over half of the toddlers in the U.S. experience routine nonparental care, but much less is known about early care than about preschool care. This study analyzed 2-year-old child care and child outcome data from the nationally representative ECLS-B sample of children born in 2001. At two-years of age, 51% of children experienced exclusive parental care, 18% relative care, 15% family child care, and 16% center care. More children in nonparental care were in medium quality care (61%) than in high quality (26%) or low quality (13%) care. Low-income children were more likely than non-low income children to be cared for by their parents and, when in care, were more often in lower quality care. The impact of toddler care quality on cognitive skills was estimated using propensity score adjustments to account for potential selection confounds due to family and child characteristics. Children’s cognitive scores were higher in high or medium quality care than in low quality care, but no evidence emerged suggesting that poverty moderated the quality effects. Nevertheless, this suggests that increasing the proportion of low-income children in high quality care could reduce the achievement gap because low-income children are very unlikely to experience high quality care. PMID:24347815

Study of the Relevance of the Quality of Care, Operating Efficiency and Inefficient Quality Competition of Senior Care Facilities.

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Lin, Jwu-Rong; Chen, Ching-Yu; Peng, Tso-Kwei

2017-09-11

The purpose of this research is to examine the relation between operating efficiency and the quality of care of senior care facilities. We designed a data envelopment analysis, combining epsilon-based measure and metafrontier efficiency analyses to estimate the operating efficiency for senior care facilities, followed by an iterative seemingly unrelated regression to evaluate the relation between the quality of care and operating efficiency. In the empirical studies, Taiwan census data was utilized and findings include the following: Despite the greater operating scale of the general type of senior care facilities, their average metafrontier technical efficiency is inferior to that of nursing homes. We adopted senior care facility accreditation results from Taiwan as a variable to represent the quality of care and examined the relation of accreditation results and operating efficiency. We found that the quality of care of general senior care facilities is negatively related to operating efficiency; however, for nursing homes, the relationship is not significant. Our findings show that facilities invest more in input resources to obtain better ratings in the accreditation report. Operating efficiency, however, does not improve. Quality competition in the industry in Taiwan is inefficient, especially for general senior care facilities.

Measuring quality in maternal-newborn care: developing a clinical dashboard.

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Sprague, Ann E; Dunn, Sandra I; Fell, Deshayne B; Harrold, Joann; Walker, Mark C; Kelly, Sherrie; Smith, Graeme N

2013-01-01

Pregnancy, birth, and the early newborn period are times of high use of health care services. As well as opportunities for providing quality care, there are potential missed opportunities for health promotion, safety issues, and increased costs for the individual and the system when quality is not well defined or measured. There has been a need to identify key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure quality care within the provincial maternal-newborn system. We also wanted to provide automated audit and feedback about these KPIs to support quality improvement initiatives in a large Canadian province with approximately 140 000 births per year. We therefore worked to develop a maternal-newborn dashboard to increase awareness about selected KPIs and to inform and support hospitals and care providers about areas for quality improvement. We mapped maternal-newborn data elements to a quality domain framework, sought feedback via survey for the relevance and feasibility of change, and examined current data and the literature to assist in setting provincial benchmarks. Six clinical performance indicators of maternal-newborn quality care were identified and evidence-informed benchmarks were set. A maternal-newborn dashboard with "drill down" capacity for detailed analysis to enhance audit and feedback is now available for implementation. While audit and feedback does not guarantee individuals or institutions will make practice changes and move towards quality improvement, it is an important first step. Practice change and quality improvement will not occur without an awareness of the issues.

Hospital heterogeneity: what drives the quality of health care.

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Ali, Manhal; Salehnejad, Reza; Mansur, Mohaimen

2018-04-01

A major feature of health care systems is substantial variation in health care quality across hospitals. The quality of stroke care widely varies across NHS hospitals. We investigate factors that may explain variations in health care quality using measures of quality of stroke care. We combine NHS trust data from the National Sentinel Stroke Audit with other data sets from the Office for National Statistics, NHS and census data to capture hospitals' human and physical assets and organisational characteristics. We employ a class of non-parametric methods to explore the complex structure of the data and a set of correlated random effects models to identify key determinants of the quality of stroke care. The organisational quality of the process of stroke care appears as a fundamental driver of clinical quality of stroke care. There are rich complementarities amongst drivers of quality of stroke care. The findings strengthen previous research on managerial and organisational determinants of health care quality.

Experiencing health care service quality: through patients' eyes.

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Schembri, Sharon

2015-02-01

The primary aim of the present study was to consider health care service quality from the patients' perspective, specifically through the patient's eyes. A narrative analysis was performed on 300 patient stories. This rigorous analysis of patient stories is designed to identify and describe health care service quality through patients' eyes in an authentic and accurate, experiential manner. The findings show that there are variant and complex ways that patients experience health care service quality. Patient stories offer an authentic view of the complex ways that patients experience health care service quality. Narrative analysis is a useful tool to identify and describe how patients experience health care service quality. Patients experience health care service quality in complex and varying ways.

Stability and Patterns of Classroom Quality in German Early Childhood Education and Care

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Kuger, Susanne; Kluczniok, Katharina; Kaplan, David; Rossbach, Hans-Guenther

2016-01-01

Many education systems worldwide have dedicated a significant amount of resources to improve quality levels in early childhood education and care. Research can contribute to this goal by providing information about conditions of high-quality education and care and reasons for changes in the quality provided to children. This study therefore…

Managing Quality in Health Care: Involving Patient Care Information Systems and Healthcare Professionals in Quality Monitoring and Improvement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. de Mul (Marleen)

2009-01-01

textabstractIt is no longer possible to ignore the issue of quality in health care. Care institutions strive to provide all patients with effective, efficient, safe, timely, patient-centered care. Increased attention for quality is also found in discussions regarding use of information

Assessing primary care data quality.

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Lim, Yvonne Mei Fong; Yusof, Maryati; Sivasampu, Sheamini

2018-04-16

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess National Medical Care Survey data quality. Design/methodology/approach Data completeness and representativeness were computed for all observations while other data quality measures were assessed using a 10 per cent sample from the National Medical Care Survey database; i.e., 12,569 primary care records from 189 public and private practices were included in the analysis. Findings Data field completion ranged from 69 to 100 per cent. Error rates for data transfer from paper to web-based application varied between 0.5 and 6.1 per cent. Error rates arising from diagnosis and clinical process coding were higher than medication coding. Data fields that involved free text entry were more prone to errors than those involving selection from menus. The authors found that completeness, accuracy, coding reliability and representativeness were generally good, while data timeliness needs to be improved. Research limitations/implications Only data entered into a web-based application were examined. Data omissions and errors in the original questionnaires were not covered. Practical implications Results from this study provided informative and practicable approaches to improve primary health care data completeness and accuracy especially in developing nations where resources are limited. Originality/value Primary care data quality studies in developing nations are limited. Understanding errors and missing data enables researchers and health service administrators to prevent quality-related problems in primary care data.

Characteristics of administrators and quality of care in Ontario care facilities

OpenAIRE

Keays, Sean Charles

2007-01-01

This exploratory study investigated administrator and facility predictors of quality of care (QOC) in care facilities (CF). Surveys were mailed to all 602 CF administrators in Ontario; half of whom responded. Quality was measured using the last certification inspection report obtained from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care public report on certified CF. Quality predictors were found using multiple regression analysis. Education and experience as an administrator in current pos...

Research into care quality criteria for long-term care institutions.

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Wang, Wen-Liang; Chang, Hong-Jer; Liu, An-Chi; Chen, Yu-Wen

2007-12-01

The purpose of this paper was to determine the criteria that reflect the quality of care provided by long-term care institutions. Research was conducted using a two-step procedure that first utilized the SERVQUAL model with Fuzzy Delphi Method to establish the proper criteria by which service quality could be measured. A total of 200 questionnaires were mailed to expert respondents, of which 89 were returned and 77 deemed valid for use in this study. We then applied the Multi-Criteria Decision Making Process to determine the degree of importance of each criterion to long-term care institution service quality planning work. Secondly, 200 questionnaires were distributed and 74 valid responses were returned. Based on the 5 SERVQUAL model constructs, this study found 17 of the 28 criteria, to be pertinent to nursing care quality, with those in the Responsiveness and Empathy domains being the ones most critical.

Quality choice in a health care market: a mixed duopoly approach.

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Sanjo, Yasuo

2009-05-01

We investigate a health care market with uncertainty in a mixed duopoly, where a partially privatized public hospital competes against a private hospital in terms of quality choice. We use a simple Hotelling-type spatial competition model by incorporating mean-variance analysis and the framework of partial privatization. We show how the variance in the quality perceived by patients affects the true quality of medical care provided by hospitals. In addition, we show that a case exists in which the quality of the partially privatized hospital becomes higher than that of the private hospital when the patient's preference for quality is relatively high.

[Quality assurance in intensive care: the situation in Switzerland].

Science.gov (United States)

Frutiger, A

1999-10-30

The movement for quality in medicine is starting to take on the dimensions of a crusade. Quite logically it has also reached the intensive care community. Due to their complex multidisciplinary functioning and because of the high costs involved, ICUs are model services reflecting the overall situation in our hospitals. The situation of Swiss intensive care is particularly interesting, because for over 25 years standards for design and staffing of Swiss ICUs have been in effect and were enforced via onsite visits by the Swiss Society of Intensive Care without government involvement. Swiss intensive care thus defined its structures long before the word "accreditation" had even been used in this context. While intensive care in Switzerland is practised in clearly defined, well equipped and adequately staffed units, much less is known about process quality and outcomes of these services. Statistics on admissions, length of stay and length of mechanical ventilation, as well as severity data based on a simple classification system, are collected nationwide and allow some limited insight into the overall process of care. Results of intensive care are not systematically assessed. In response to the constant threat of cost containment, Swiss ICUs should increasingly focus on process quality and results, while maintaining their existing good structures.

Assessing the Value of High-Quality Care for Work-Associated Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in a Large Integrated Health Care System: Study Design.

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Conlon, Craig; Asch, Steven; Hanson, Mark; Avins, Andrew; Levitan, Barbara; Roth, Carol; Robbins, Michael; Dworsky, Michael; Seabury, Seth; Nuckols, Teryl

2016-01-01

Little is known about quality of care for occupational health disorders, although it may affect worker health and workers' compensation costs. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common work-associated condition that causes substantial disability. To describe the design of a study that is assessing quality of care for work-associated CTS and associations with clinical outcomes and costs. Prospective observational study of 477 individuals with new workers' compensation claims for CTS without acute trauma who were treated at 30 occupational health clinics from 2011 to 2013 and followed for 18 months. Timing of key clinical events, adherence to 45 quality measures, changes in scores on the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire and 12-item Short Form Health Survey Version 2 (SF-12v2), and costs associated with medical care and disability. Two hundred sixty-seven subjects (56%) received a diagnosis of CTS and had claims filed around the first visit to occupational health, 104 (22%) received a diagnosis before that visit and claim, and 98 (21%) received a diagnosis or had claims filed after that visit. One hundred seventy-eight (37%) subjects had time off work, which started around the time of surgery in 147 (83%) cases and lasted a median of 41 days (interquartile range = 42 days). The timing of diagnosis varied, but time off work was generally short and related to surgery. If associations of quality of care with key medical, economic, and quality-of-life outcomes are identified for work-associated CTS, systematic efforts to evaluate and improve quality of medical care for this condition are warranted.

Providing High Quality Care in Low-Income Areas of Maryland: Definitions, Resources, and Challenges from Parents and Child Care Providers' Perspectives. Publication #2012-45

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Forry, Nicole; Simkin, Shana; Wessel, Julia; Rodrigues, Katherine

2012-01-01

Early life experiences are critical to a child's development. Research has shown that, for a variety of reasons, children born into low-income families are at a disadvantage when compared to their higher-income peers. Fortunately, research has also shown a positive association between high quality child care and the academic and social-emotional…

Consumer Quality Index Chronic Skin Disease (CQI-CSD): a new instrument to measure quality of care from the patient's perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Cranenburgh, O. D.; Krol, M. W.; Hendriks, M. C. P.; de Rie, M. A.; Smets, E. M. A.; de Korte, J.; Sprangers, M. A. G.

2015-01-01

Assessing quality of care from the patient's perspective is considered to be highly relevant. As a standardized instrument in dermatology was lacking, we developed a patient experience questionnaire regarding chronic skin disease care: the Consumer Quality Index Chronic Skin Disease (CQI-CSD). (i)

Quality care as ethical care: a poststructural analysis of palliative and supportive district nursing care.

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Nagington, Maurice; Walshe, Catherine; Luker, Karen A

2016-03-01

Quality of care is a prominent discourse in modern health-care and has previously been conceptualised in terms of ethics. In addition, the role of knowledge has been suggested as being particularly influential with regard to the nurse-patient-carer relationship. However, to date, no analyses have examined how knowledge (as an ethical concept) impinges on quality of care. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 patients with palliative and supportive care needs receiving district nursing care and thirteen of their lay carers. Poststructural discourse analysis techniques were utilised to take an ethical perspective on the current way in which quality of care is assessed and produced in health-care. It is argued that if quality of care is to be achieved, patients and carers need to be able to redistribute and redevelop the knowledge of their services in a collaborative way that goes beyond the current ways of working. Theoretical works and extant research are then used to produce tentative suggestions about how this may be achieved. © 2015 The Authors Nursing Inquiry Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quality management in Irish health care.

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Ennis, K; Harrington, D

1999-01-01

This paper reports on the findings from a quantitative research study of quality management in the Irish health-care sector. The study findings suggest that quality management is what hospitals require to become more cost-effective and efficient. The research also shows that the culture of health-care institutions must change to one where employees experience pride in their work and where all are involved and committed to continuous quality improvement. It is recommended that a shift is required from the traditional management structures to a more participative approach. Furthermore, all managers whether from a clinical or an administration background must understand one another's role in the organisation. Finally, for quality to succeed in the health-care sector, strong committed leadership is required to overcome tensions in quality implementation.

Quality of care: how good is good enough?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chassin Mark R

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Israel has made impressive progress in improving performance on key measures of the quality of health care in the community in recent years. These achievements are all the more notable given Israel's modest overall spending on health care and because they have accrued to virtually the entire population of the country. Health care systems in most developed nations around the world find themselves in a similar position today with respect to health care quality. Despite significantly increased improvement efforts over the past decade, routine safety processes, such as hand hygiene and medication administration, fail routinely at rates of 30% to 50%. People with chronic diseases experience preventable episodes of acute illness that require hospitalization due to medication mix-ups and other failures of outpatient management. Patients continue to be harmed by preventable adverse events, such as surgery on the wrong part of the body and fires in operating theaters. Health care around the world is not nearly as safe as other industries, such as commercial aviation, that have mastered highly effective ways to manage serious hazards. Health care organizations will have to undertake three interrelated changes to get substantially closer to the superlative safety records of other industries: leadership commitment to zero major quality failures, widespread implementation of highly effective process improvement methods, and the adoption of all facets of a culture of safety. Each of these changes represents a major challenge to the way today's health care organizations plan and carry out their daily work. The Israeli health system is in an enviable position to implement these changes. Universal health insurance coverage, the enrolment of the entire population in a small number of health plans, and the widespread use of electronic health records provide advantages available to few other countries. Achieving and sustaining levels of safety comparable

Quality of care: how good is good enough?

Science.gov (United States)

Chassin, Mark R

2012-01-30

Israel has made impressive progress in improving performance on key measures of the quality of health care in the community in recent years. These achievements are all the more notable given Israel's modest overall spending on health care and because they have accrued to virtually the entire population of the country.Health care systems in most developed nations around the world find themselves in a similar position today with respect to health care quality. Despite significantly increased improvement efforts over the past decade, routine safety processes, such as hand hygiene and medication administration, fail routinely at rates of 30% to 50%. People with chronic diseases experience preventable episodes of acute illness that require hospitalization due to medication mix-ups and other failures of outpatient management. Patients continue to be harmed by preventable adverse events, such as surgery on the wrong part of the body and fires in operating theaters. Health care around the world is not nearly as safe as other industries, such as commercial aviation, that have mastered highly effective ways to manage serious hazards.Health care organizations will have to undertake three interrelated changes to get substantially closer to the superlative safety records of other industries: leadership commitment to zero major quality failures, widespread implementation of highly effective process improvement methods, and the adoption of all facets of a culture of safety. Each of these changes represents a major challenge to the way today's health care organizations plan and carry out their daily work. The Israeli health system is in an enviable position to implement these changes. Universal health insurance coverage, the enrolment of the entire population in a small number of health plans, and the widespread use of electronic health records provide advantages available to few other countries.Achieving and sustaining levels of safety comparable to, say, commercial aviation will

Long-Term Care Workforce Issues: Practice Principles for Quality Dementia Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilster, Susan D; Boltz, Marie; Dalessandro, Jennifer L

2018-01-18

This article is one in a series of articles in this supplement addressing best practice for quality dementia care. The Alzheimer's Association, in revising their Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for 2017 has identified staff across the long-term care spectrum as a distinct and important determinant of quality dementia care. The purpose of this article is to highlight areas for developing and supporting a dementia-capable workforce. The Alzheimer's Association Principles For Advocacy To Assure Quality Dementia Care Across Settings provide a framework to examine interventions to support the dementia care workforce in long-term care settings. Evidence-based approaches that represent these principles are discussed: (a) staffing, (b) staff training, (c) compensation, (d) supportive work environments, (e) career growth and retention, and (f) engagement with family. Although not all settings currently require attention to the principles described, this article proposes these principles as best practice recommendations. Recommendations and future research considerations to further improve the lives of those who live and work in nursing homes, assisted living, hospice, and home care, are proposed. Additional areas to improve the quality of a dementia care workforce person-centered care information, communication and interdepartmental teamwork, and ongoing evaluation are discussed. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A qualitative study explaining nurses' perceptions of quality care for older people in long-term care settings in Ireland.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Kathy

2007-03-01

The aim of this research was to explore nurses' perceptions of the attributes of quality care and the factors that facilitate or hinder high-quality nursing care in long-term care. The quality of care for older people living in long-term care has been identified as an issue of concern in many nursing research studies. While many factors have been identified, it is difficult to determine key factors from current research. The study was a qualitative exploration of nurses' perceptions of quality care for older people and the factors that facilitate or hinder quality care. It involved 20 interviews with nurses. Respondents were asked to illustrate their accounts with examples from practice. This phase of the research was guided by the principles of hermeneutic phenomenology and the analysis process by Van Manen. The findings indicated that nurses perceived quality care for older people in Ireland as holistic, individualized and focused on promoting independence and choice. The research revealed, however, that care in many practice areas was not individualized, patient choice and involvement in decision making was limited and some areas engendered dependency. While staffing was identified as a factor which had an impact on the provision of patient choice, other issues, such as the motivation of staff, the role of the ward manager and the dominance of routine were also highlighted. There is a need to review organizational approaches to care, develop patient centred approaches to care and provide educational support for managers. This research focuses on care for older people; it helps practitioners identify key factors in the provision of quality care for older people living in long-term care.

Prospective study on quality of newborn care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N Khanam

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Quality of services provided by health care provider, the closest health functionary to the community has impact on neonatal mortality. Aims: Study on quality of newborn care in rural areas.  Settings and Design: This is a prospective study in the field practice areas of J.N. Medical College and areas under primary health centre of public health care system in Wardha district.  Methods and Material: Modified quality check list on the basis of PHC MAP module guidelines for assessing the quality of service-module 6-user’s guide was prepared. Face to face interview with 205 (group-A/104 nos + group-B/101 nos mother of newborn was method to collected information in three postnatal visits.  Statistical analysis: Quality (verbal response of each service was quantified as acceptable, average and worst.  Quality of both the groups was compared by calculating P-value after utilizing Z-test.  Results: Over all acceptable quality of medical history was 30.03%, physical examination was 21.73%, preventive service was 91.17% and counseling was 24.83%. Significant difference between two groups were found on history taking for (cry, breathing and body movement of baby, recording weight and counseling regarding exclusive breast feeding for first 6 month of life. Worst quality in this study were observed in history for anything applying to eyes, umbilical cord stump and complication of baby for which appropriate management was taken. Except for weight recording and examination of head and fontanels all other variables under physical examination were not acceptable. Counseling regarding high risk condition of baby was only 13.66%. Conclusion: Existing newborn services except immunization is inadequate and needs to be strengthened especially physical examination and counseling services. 

Improving Family Meetings in Intensive Care Units: A Quality Improvement Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Gruenewald, David A; Gabriel, Michelle; Rizzo, Dorothy; Luhrs, Carol A

2017-07-01

Family meetings in the intensive care unit are associated with beneficial outcomes for patients, their families, and health care systems, yet these meetings often do not occur in a timely, effective, reliable way. The Department of Veterans Affairs Comprehensive End-of-Life Care Implementation Center sponsored a national initiative to improve family meetings in Veterans Affairs intensive care units across the United States. Process measures of success for the initiative were identified, including development of a curriculum to support facility-based quality improvement projects to implement high-quality family meetings. Identified curriculum requirements included suitability for distance learning and applicability to many clinical intensive care units. Curriculum modules were cross-mapped to the "Plan-Do-Study-Act" model to aid in planning quality improvement projects. A questionnaire was e-mailed to users to evaluate the curriculum's effectiveness. Users rated the curriculum's effectiveness in supporting and achieving aims of the initiative as 3.6 on a scale of 0 (not effective) to 4 (very effective). Users adapted the curriculum to meet local needs. The number of users increased from 6 to 17 quality improvement teams in 2 years. All but 3 teams progressed to implementation of an action plan. Users were satisfied with the effectiveness and adaptability of a family-meeting quality improvement curriculum to support implementation of a quality improvement project in Veterans Affairs intensive care units. This tool may be useful in facilitating projects to improve the quality of family meetings in other intensive care units. ©2017 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Bringing quality improvement into the intensive care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

McMillan, Tracy R; Hyzy, Robert C

2007-02-01

During the last several years, many governmental and nongovernmental organizations have championed the application of the principles of quality improvement to the practice of medicine, particularly in the area of critical care. To review the breadth of approaches to quality improvement in the intensive care unit, including measures such as mortality and length of stay, and the use of protocols, bundles, and the role of large, multiple-hospital collaboratives. Several agencies have participated in the application of the quality movement to medicine, culminating in the development of standards such as the intensive care unit core measures of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Although "zero defects" may not be possible in all measurable variables of quality in the intensive care unit, several measures, such as catheter-related bloodstream infections, can be significantly reduced through the implementation of improved processes of care, such as care bundles. Large, multiple-center, quality improvement collaboratives, such as the Michigan Keystone Intensive Care Unit Project, may be particularly effective in improving the quality of care by creating a "bandwagon effect" within a geographic region. The quality revolution is having a significant effect in the critical care unit and is likely to be facilitated by the transition to the electronic medical record.

Differential susceptibility to parenting and quality child care.

Science.gov (United States)

Pluess, Michael; Belsky, Jay

2010-03-01

Research on differential susceptibility to rearing suggests that infants with difficult temperaments are disproportionately affected by parenting and child care quality, but a major U.S. child care study raises questions as to whether quality of care influences social adjustment. One thousand three hundred sixty-four American children from reasonably diverse backgrounds were followed from 1 month to 11 years with repeated observational assessments of parenting and child care quality, as well as teacher report and standardized assessments of children's cognitive-academic and social functioning, to determine whether those with histories of difficult temperament proved more susceptible to early rearing effects at ages 10 and 11. Evidence for such differential susceptibility emerges in the case of both parenting and child care quality and with respect to both cognitive-academic and social functioning. Differential susceptibility to parenting and child care quality extends to late middle childhood. J. Belsky, D. L. Vandell, et al.'s (2007) failure to consider such temperament-moderated rearing effects in their evaluation of long-term child care effects misestimates effects of child care quality on social adjustment.

Root-Cause Analysis of Persistently High Maternal Mortality in a Rural District of Indonesia: Role of Clinical Care Quality and Health Services Organizational Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmood, Mohammad Afzal; Mufidah, Ismi; Scroggs, Steven; Siddiqui, Amna Rehana; Raheel, Hafsa; Wibdarminto, Koentijo; Dirgantoro, Bernardus; Vercruyssen, Jorien; Wahabi, Hayfaa A

2018-01-01

Despite significant reduction in maternal mortality, there are still many regions in the world that suffer from high mortality. District Kutai Kartanegara, Indonesia, is one such region where consistently high maternal mortality was observed despite high rate of delivery by skilled birth attendants. Thirty maternal deaths were reviewed using verbal autopsy interviews, terminal event reporting, medical records' review, and Death Audit Committee reports, using a comprehensive root-cause analysis framework including Risk Identification, Signal Services, Emergency Obstetrics Care Evaluation, Quality, and 3 Delays. The root causes were found in poor quality of care, which caused hospital to be unprepared to manage deteriorating patients. In hospital, poor implementation of standard operating procedures was rooted in inadequate skills, lack of forward planning, ineffective communication, and unavailability of essential services. In primary care, root causes included inadequate risk management, referrals to facilities where needed services are not available, and lack of coordination between primary healthcare and hospitals. There is an urgent need for a shift in focus to quality of care through knowledge, skills, and support for consistent application of protocols, making essential services available, effective risk assessment and management, and facilitating timely referrals to facilities that are adequately equipped.

Quality of care and health-related quality of life of climacteric stage women cared for in family medicine clinics in Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pérez-Cuevas Ricardo

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objectives 1 To design and validate indicators to measure the quality of the process of care that climacteric stage women receive in family medicine clinics (FMC. 2 To assess the quality of care that climacteric stage women receive in FMC. 3 To determine the association between quality of care and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL among climacteric stage women. Methods The study had two phases: I. Design and validation of indicators to measure the quality of care process by using the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method. II. Evaluation of the quality of care and its association with HR-QoL through a cross-sectional study conducted in two FMC located in Mexico City that included 410 climacteric stage women. The quality of care was measured by estimating the percentage of recommended care received (PRCR by climacteric stage women in three process components: health promotion, screening, and treatment. The HR-QoL was measured using the Cervantes scale (0-155. The association between quality of care and HR-QoL was estimated through multiple linear regression analysis. Results The lowest mean of PRCR was for the health promotion component (24.1% and the highest for the treatment component (86.6%. The mean of HR-QoL was 50.1 points. The regression analysis showed that in the treatment component, for every 10 additional points of the PRCR, the global HR-QoL improved 2.8 points on the Cervantes scale (coefficient -0.28, P Conclusion The indicators to measure quality of care for climacteric stage women are applicable and feasible in family medicine settings. There is a positive association between the quality of the treatment component and HR-QoL; this would encourage interventions to improve quality of care for climacteric stage women.

Sick of Health Care Politics? Comparing Views of Quality of Care Between Democrats and Republicans.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Kirstin W; Blendon, Robert J; Benson, John M

Improving the quality of care delivered by the U.S. health care system is a topic of important policy and political debate. Although public opinion surveys have shown concerns regarding the state of quality of care nationally, the majority of Americans are satisfied with the quality of care they personally receive. Studies have shown that Republicans and Democrats may differ in these views. We used a 2012 national survey of 1,508 American adults that captured perceptions of quality, political party, medical experiences, and self-reported interactions with the health care system due to an illness to examine these differences. Regardless of having a recent illness or hospitalization, Democrats generally expressed greater concerns about the country's state of health care quality relative to Republicans. Partisan differences also emerged when identifying the most important problems contributing to quality-of-care deficiencies in the nation. However, partisan differences were nonexistent on measures related to self-reported experiences with quality of care. Although their individual experiences with quality of care do not differ, Republicans and Democrats differ in their views on national quality-of-care issues. This may have implications for efforts to improve quality of care in the current polarized healthcare environment.

Measuring health care process quality with software quality measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Yildiz, Ozkan; Demirörs, Onur

2012-01-01

Existing quality models focus on some specific diseases, clinics or clinical areas. Although they contain structure, process, or output type measures, there is no model which measures quality of health care processes comprehensively. In addition, due to the not measured overall process quality, hospitals cannot compare quality of processes internally and externally. To bring a solution to above problems, a new model is developed from software quality measures. We have adopted the ISO/IEC 9126 software quality standard for health care processes. Then, JCIAS (Joint Commission International Accreditation Standards for Hospitals) measurable elements were added to model scope for unifying functional requirements. Assessment (diagnosing) process measurement results are provided in this paper. After the application, it was concluded that the model determines weak and strong aspects of the processes, gives a more detailed picture for the process quality, and provides quantifiable information to hospitals to compare their processes with multiple organizations.

Customer Quality during Prenatal Care in Health Care Centers in Tabriz City

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jafar Sadegh Tabrizi

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives :  Customer Quality (CQ refers to customer’s characteristics and is concerned with the knowledge, skills and confidence of health services customers who actively participate with health team in proper decision-making, appropriate activities and changing environment and health related behaviors. The purpose of this study was measuring customer quality of pregnant women during prenatal care. Materials and Methods :  This is a cross- sectional study which was conducted with the participation of 185 pregnant women who received prenatal care from urban health centers in Tabriz city. All participants were selected randomly from 40 health centers. Customer quality was measured based on CQMH-CQ questionnaire.  Questionnaire content validity was reviewed and confirmed by 10 experts and its reliability was confirmed based on Cronbach's alpha index (α = 0.714. Spss v.17 was used for data analysis. Results : According to the results, the mean score of customer quality among pregnant women was (11.29± 67.79   and only %14 of the participants reported the highest customer quality score and ability of continuity of care under stressful situations. There was a positive relationship between customer quality score and visiting midwife and a better evaluation of overall quality of care, but there was inverse relationship with early registration at health centers. Conclusion :  The participation of pregnant women in service delivery process and decision-making can promote costumer quality. Furthermore, training health care providers in empowering patients and using their abilities to improve quality of care and paying attention to patient-centered care will be helpful. ​

interRAI home care quality indicators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morris, J.N.; Fries, B.E.; Frijters, D.H.M.; Hirdes, J.P.; Steel, R.K.

2013-01-01

Background: This paper describe the development of interRAI's second-generation home care quality indicators (HC-QIs). They are derived from two of interRAI's widely used community assessments: the Community Health Assessment and the Home Care Assessment. In this work the form in which the quality

Quality of care and quality of life of people with dementia living at green care farms: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

de Boer, Bram; Hamers, Jan P H; Zwakhalen, Sandra M G; Tan, Frans E S; Verbeek, Hilde

2017-07-19

Many countries are introducing smaller, more home-like care facilities that represent a radically new approach to nursing home care for people with dementia. The green care farm is a new type of nursing home developed in the Netherlands. The goal of this study was to compare quality of care, quality of life and related outcomes in green care farms, regular small-scale living facilities and traditional nursing homes for people with dementia. A cross-sectional design was used. Three types of nursing homes were included: (1) green care farms; (2) regular small-scale living facilities; (3) traditional nursing homes. All participating nursing homes were non-profit, collectively funded nursing homes in the south of the Netherlands. One hundred and fifteen residents with a formal diagnosis of dementia were included in the study. Data on quality of care was gathered and consisted of outcome indicators (e.g. falling incidents, pressure ulcers), structure indicators (e.g. hours per resident per day), and process indicators (e.g. presence, accessibility and content of protocols on care delivery). Furthermore, questionnaires on cognition, dependence in activities of daily living, quality of life, social engagement, neuropsychiatric symptoms, agitation, and depression were used. Data showed that quality of care was comparable across settings. No large differences were found on clinical outcome measures, hours per resident per day, or process indicators. Higher quality of life scores were reported for residents of green care farms in comparison with residents of traditional nursing homes. They scored significantly higher on the Quality of Life - Alzheimer's disease Scale (p quality of life. In addition, residents of green care farms scored higher on three quality of life domains of the Qualidem: positive affect, social relations and having something to do (p  0.7). No differences with regular small-scale living facilities were found. Green care farms seem to be a valuable

Impact of Performance Obstacles on Intensive Care Nurses‘ Workload, Perceived Quality and Safety of Care, and Quality of Working Life

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Gurses, Ayse P; Carayon, Pascale; Wall, Melanie

2009-01-01

Objectives To study the impact of performance obstacles on intensive care nurses‘ workload, quality and safety of care, and quality of working life (QWL). Performance obstacles are factors that hinder nurses‘ capacity to perform their job and that are closely associated with their immediate work system. Data Sources/Study Setting Data were collected from 265 nurses in 17 intensive care units (ICUs) between February and August 2004 via a structured questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 80 percent. Study Design A cross-sectional study design was used. Data were analyzed by correlation analyses and structural equation modeling. Principal Findings Performance obstacles were found to affect perceived quality and safety of care and QWL of ICU nurses. Workload mediated the impact of performance obstacles with the exception of equipment-related issues on perceived quality and safety of care as well as QWL. Conclusions Performance obstacles in ICUs are a major determinant of nursing workload, perceived quality and safety of care, and QWL. In general, performance obstacles increase nursing workload, which in turn negatively affect perceived quality and safety of care and QWL. Redesigning the ICU work system to reduce performance obstacles may improve nurses‘ work. PMID:19207589

The Effect of Financial Incentives on Quality of Care: The Case of Diabetes

OpenAIRE

Anthony Scott; Stefanie Schurer; Paul H. Jensen; Peter Sivey

2008-01-01

Australia introduced an incentive payment scheme for general practitioners to ensure systematic and high quality care in chronic disease management. There is little empirical evidence and ambiguous theoretical guidance on which effects to expect on the quality of care. This paper evaluates the impact of the payment incentives on quality of care in diabetes, as measured by the probability of ordering an HbA1c test. The empirical analysis is conducted with a unique data set and a multivariate p...

The Effects of Financial Incentives on Quality of Care: The Case of Diabetes

OpenAIRE

Scott, A; Schurer, S; Jensen, P H; Sivey, P

2008-01-01

Australia introduced an incentive payment scheme for general practitioners to ensure systematic and high quality care in chronic disease management. There is little empirical evidence and ambiguous theoretical guidance on which effects to expect on the quality of care. This paper evaluates the impact of the payment incentives on quality of care in diabetes, as measured by the probability of ordering an HbA1c test. The empirical analysis is conducted with a unique data set and a multivariate p...

Fabrication of high-quality brazed joints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orlov, A.V.

1980-01-01

Problem of ensuring of joint high-quality when brazing different parts in power engineering is considered. To obtain high-quality joints it is necessary to correctly design brazed joint and to choose a gap width, overlap length and fillet radius; to clean up carefully the surfaces to be brazed and fix them properly one relative to another; to apply a solder so as to provide its flowing into the gap and sticking in it; to exactly regulate thermal conditions of brazing. High quality and reliability of brazed joints are ensured by the application of solders based on noble metals, and cheap solders based on nickel, manganese and copper. Joints brazed with nickel base solders may operate at temperatures as high as 888 deg C

Development of Indicators to Assess Quality of Care for Prostate Cancer.

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Nag, Nupur; Millar, Jeremy; Davis, Ian D; Costello, Shaun; Duthie, James B; Mark, Stephen; Delprado, Warick; Smith, David; Pryor, David; Galvin, David; Sullivan, Frank; Murphy, Áine C; Roder, David; Elsaleh, Hany; Currow, David; White, Craig; Skala, Marketa; Moretti, Kim L; Walker, Tony; De Ieso, Paolo; Brooks, Andrew; Heathcote, Peter; Frydenberg, Mark; Thavaseelan, Jeffery; Evans, Sue M

2016-02-20

The development, monitoring, and reporting of indicator measures that describe standard of care provide the gold standard for assessing quality of care and patient outcomes. Although indicator measures have been reported, little evidence of their use in measuring and benchmarking performance is available. A standard set, defining numerator, denominator, and risk adjustments, will enable global benchmarking of quality of care. To develop a set of indicators to enable assessment and reporting of quality of care for men with localised prostate cancer (PCa). Candidate indicators were identified from the literature. An international panel was invited to participate in a modified Delphi process. Teleconferences were held before and after each voting round to provide instruction and to review results. Panellists were asked to rate each proposed indicator on a Likert scale of 1-9 in a two-round iterative process. Calculations required to report on the endorsed indicators were evaluated and modified to reflect the data capture of the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry-Australia and New Zealand (PCOR-ANZ). A total of 97 candidate indicators were identified, of which 12 were endorsed. The set includes indicators covering pre-, intra-, and post-treatment of PCa care, within the limits of the data captured by PCOR-ANZ. The 12 endorsed quality measures enable international benchmarking on the quality of care of men with localised PCa. Reporting on these indicators enhances safety and efficacy of treatment, reduces variation in care, and can improve patient outcomes. PCa has the highest incidence of all cancers in men. Early diagnosis and relatively high survival rates mean issues of quality of care and best possible health outcomes for patients are important. This paper identifies 12 important measurable quality indicators in PCa care. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Does Medical Malpractice Law Improve Health Care Quality?

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Frakes, Michael; Jena, Anupam B.

2016-01-01

We assess the potential for medical liability forces to deter medical errors and improve health care treatment quality, identifying liability’s influence by drawing on variations in the manner by which states formulate the negligence standard facing physicians. Using hospital discharge records from the National Hospital Discharge Survey and clinically-validated quality metrics inspired by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, we find evidence suggesting that treatment quality may improve upon reforms that expect physicians to adhere to higher quality clinical standards. We do not find evidence, however, suggesting that treatment quality may deteriorate following reforms to liability standards that arguably condone the delivery of lower quality care. Similarly, we do not find evidence of deterioration in health care quality following remedy-focused liability reforms such as caps on non-economic damages awards. PMID:28479642

Women's and care providers' perspectives of quality prenatal care: a qualitative descriptive study

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Much attention has been given to the adequacy of prenatal care use in promoting healthy outcomes for women and their infants. Adequacy of use takes into account the timing of initiation of prenatal care and the number of visits. However, there is emerging evidence that the quality of prenatal care may be more important than adequacy of use. The purpose of our study was to explore women's and care providers' perspectives of quality prenatal care to inform the development of items for a new instrument, the Quality of Prenatal Care Questionnaire. We report on the derivation of themes resulting from this first step of questionnaire development. Methods A qualitative descriptive approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 pregnant women and 40 prenatal care providers recruited from five urban centres across Canada. Data were analyzed using inductive open and then pattern coding. The final step of analysis used a deductive approach to assign the emergent themes to broader categories reflective of the study's conceptual framework. Results The three main categories informed by Donabedian's model of quality health care were structure of care, clinical care processes, and interpersonal care processes. Structure of care themes included access, physical setting, and staff and care provider characteristics. Themes under clinical care processes were health promotion and illness prevention, screening and assessment, information sharing, continuity of care, non-medicalization of pregnancy, and women-centredness. Interpersonal care processes themes were respectful attitude, emotional support, approachable interaction style, and taking time. A recurrent theme woven throughout the data reflected the importance of a meaningful relationship between a woman and her prenatal care provider that was characterized by trust. Conclusions While certain aspects of structure of care were identified as being key dimensions of quality prenatal care, clinical and

Nonprice competition and quality of care in managed care: the New York SCHIP market.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hangsheng; Phelps, Charles E

2008-06-01

To examine the effect of nonprice competition among managed care plans on the quality of care in the New York SCHIP market. U.S. Census 2000; 2002 New York State Managed Care Plan Performance Report; and 2001 New York State Managed Care Annual Enrollment Report. Each market is defined as a county, and competition is measured as the number of plans in a market. Quality of care is measured in percentages using three Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey and three Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set scores. Two-stage least squares is applied to address the endogeneity between competition and the quality of care, using population as an instrument. We find a negative association between competition and quality of care. An additional managed care plan is significantly associated with a decrease of 0.40-2.31 percentage points in four out of six quality measures. After adjusting for production cost, a positive correlation is observed between price and quality measures across different pricing regions. It seems likely that pricing policy is a constraint on quality production, although it may not be interpreted as a causal relationship and further study is needed.

Child care quality and Dutch 2- and 3-year-olds' socio-emotional outcomes : Does the amount of care matter?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broekhuizen, Martine L.; van Aken, Marcel A.G.; Dubas, Judith S.; Leseman, Paul P.M.

High amounts of early child care have sometimes been linked to higher levels of behaviour problems, while high-quality child care has more often been related to fewer behaviour problems and more social competence. The current study investigated whether the level of centre emotional and behavioural

Quality of delivered care for people with type 2 diabetes: a new patient-centred model.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabrizi, Jafar S

2009-12-28

The quality of care from the perspective of people with Type 2 diabetes using a new model (CQMH) including three dimensions of quality in health care (Technical, Service and Customer Quality) was assessed. A cross-sectional survey with a sample of 577 people with Type 2 diabetes was conducted. Measures were self-reported adherence to national guidelines for technical quality, the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research questionnaire for service quality and the short form of the Patient Activation Measure for Customer Quality. There was a significant gap in technical quality between what diabetes care the patients reported receiving and what was recommended in the guideline, particularly for management and lifestyle aspects. For service quality, the lowest scores were for choice of care provider and accessibility of care. The mean Customer Quality score was 64.5 (meaning higher score indicating better quality). A positive relationship was demonstrated between higher technical, service and customer quality scores, and better diabetes control status as well as maintaining continuity of care. The average Quality Index was 70.0 of a 0-100 scale. Customer Quality appears to be a useful third dimension in conceptualising quality in health care, particularly in the context of chronic disease, where good self-management can improve the outcomes of care. A high proportion of Queensland adults with Type 2 diabetes reported receiving suboptimal care in the majority aspects of provided care services as reflected in the overall Quality Index score indicating substantial room for quality improvement.

Individual differences in effects of child care quality: The role of child affective self-regulation and gender.

Science.gov (United States)

Broekhuizen, Martine L; Aken, Marcel A G van; Dubas, Judith S; Mulder, Hanna; Leseman, Paul P M

2015-08-01

The current study investigated whether the relation between child care quality and children's socio-emotional behavior depended on children's affective self-regulation skills and gender. Participants were 545 children (Mage=27 months) from 60 center-based child care centers in the Netherlands. Multi-level analyses showed that children with low affective self-regulation skills or who were male demonstrated less teacher-rated social competence when exposed to relatively low quality child care. In addition, children with low affective self-regulation skills also showed more social competence in the case of relatively high quality child care, suggesting mechanisms of differential susceptibility. No main effects of child care quality or interactions were found for teacher- and parent-rated externalizing behavior. These findings emphasize the importance of considering children's affective self-regulation skills and gender in understanding the effects of child care quality. High quality child care can be a means to strengthen children's social development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality management in home care: models for today's practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Verhey, M P

1996-01-01

In less than a decade, home care providers have been a part of two major transitions in health care delivery. First, because of the advent of managed care and a shift from inpatient to community-based services, home care service delivery systems have experienced tremendous growth. Second, the principles and practices of total quality management and continuous quality improvement have permeated the organization, administration, and practice of home health care. Based on the work of Deming, Juran, and Crosby, the basic tenets of the new quality management philosophy involve a focus on the following five key areas: (1) systems and processes rather than individual performance; (2) involvement, collaboration, and empowerment; (3) internal and external "customers"; (4) data and measurement; and (5) standards, guidelines, and outcomes of care. Home care providers are among those in the forefront who are developing and implementing programs that integrate these foci into the delivery of quality home care services. This article provides a summary of current home care programs that address these five key areas of quality management philosophy and provide models for innovative quality management practice in home care. For further information about each program, readers are referred to the original reports in the home care and quality management journal literature, as cited herein.

Root-Cause Analysis of Persistently High Maternal Mortality in a Rural District of Indonesia: Role of Clinical Care Quality and Health Services Organizational Factors

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Mohammad Afzal Mahmood

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Despite significant reduction in maternal mortality, there are still many regions in the world that suffer from high mortality. District Kutai Kartanegara, Indonesia, is one such region where consistently high maternal mortality was observed despite high rate of delivery by skilled birth attendants. Method. Thirty maternal deaths were reviewed using verbal autopsy interviews, terminal event reporting, medical records’ review, and Death Audit Committee reports, using a comprehensive root-cause analysis framework including Risk Identification, Signal Services, Emergency Obstetrics Care Evaluation, Quality, and 3 Delays. Findings. The root causes were found in poor quality of care, which caused hospital to be unprepared to manage deteriorating patients. In hospital, poor implementation of standard operating procedures was rooted in inadequate skills, lack of forward planning, ineffective communication, and unavailability of essential services. In primary care, root causes included inadequate risk management, referrals to facilities where needed services are not available, and lack of coordination between primary healthcare and hospitals. Conclusion. There is an urgent need for a shift in focus to quality of care through knowledge, skills, and support for consistent application of protocols, making essential services available, effective risk assessment and management, and facilitating timely referrals to facilities that are adequately equipped.

Improving Quality of Care in Peptic Ulcer Bleeding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenstock, Steffen J; Møller, Morten H; Larsson, Heidi Jeanet

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVES:The treatment of peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB) is complex, and mortality remains high. We present results from a nationwide initiative to monitor and improve the quality of care (QOC) in PUB.METHODS:All Danish hospitals treating PUB patients between 2004 and 2011 prospectively registered...

Slack resources and quality of primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohr, David C; Young, Gary J

2012-03-01

Research generally shows that greater resource utilization fails to translate into higher-quality healthcare. Organizational slack is defined as extra organizational resources needed to meet demand. Divergent views exist on organizational slack in healthcare. Some investigators view slack negatively because it is wasteful, inefficient, and costly, whereas others view slack positively because it allows flexibility in work practices, expanding available services, and protecting against environmental changes. We tested a curvilinear relationship between organizational slack and care quality. The study setting was primary care clinics (n=568) in the Veterans Health Administration. We examined organizational slack using the patient panel size per clinic capacity ratio and support staff per provider ratio staffing guidelines developed by the Veterans Health Administration. Patient-level measures were influenza vaccinations, continuity of care, and overall quality of care ratings. We obtained 2 independent patient samples with approximately 28,000 and 62,000 observations for the analysis. We used multilevel modeling and examined the linear and quadratic terms for both organizational slack measures. We found a significant curvilinear effect for panel size per clinic capacity for influenza vaccinations and overall quality of care. We also found support staff per provider exhibited a curvilinear effect for continuity of care and influenza vaccinations. Greater available resources led to better care, but at a certain point, additional resources provided minimal quality gains. Our findings highlight the importance of primary care clinic managers monitoring staffing levels. Healthcare systems managing a balanced provider workload and staff-mix may realize better patient care delivery and cost management.

[Access to prenatal care and quality of care in the Family Health Strategy: infrastructure, care, and management].

Science.gov (United States)

Guimarães, Wilderi Sidney Gonçalves; Parente, Rosana Cristina Pereira; Guimarães, Thayanne Louzada Ferreira; Garnelo, Luiza

2018-05-10

This study focuses on access to prenatal care and quality of care in the Family Health Strategy in Brazil as a whole and in the North region, through evaluation of infrastructure characteristics in the health units, management, and supply of care provided by the teams, from the perspective of regional and state inequalities. A cross-sectional evaluative and normative study was performed, drawing on the external evaluation component of the second round of the Program for Improvement of Access and Quality of Primary Care, in 2013-2014. The results revealed the inadequacy of the primary healthcare network's infrastructure for prenatal care, low adequacy of clinical actions for quality of care, and the teams' low management capacity to guarantee access and quality of care. In the distribution according to geopolitical regions, the findings pertaining to the units' infrastructure indicate a direct relationship between the infrastructure's adequacy and social contexts with higher municipal human development indices and income. For the clinical actions in patient care, the teams in all the regions scored low on adequacy, with slightly better results in the North and South regions of the country. There were important differences between the states of the North, and the states with higher mean income and human development scored higher on adequacy. The results indicate important organizational difficulties in both access and quality of care provided by the health teams, in addition to visible insufficiency in management activities aimed to improve access and quality of prenatal care.

Many quality measurements, but few quality measures assessing the quality of breast cancer care in women: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Schachter, Howard M; Mamaladze, Vasil; Lewin, Gabriela; Graham, Ian D; Brouwers, Melissa; Sampson, Margaret; Morrison, Andra; Zhang, Li; O'Blenis, Peter; Garritty, Chantelle

2006-12-18

Breast cancer in women is increasingly frequent, and care is complex, onerous and expensive, all of which lend urgency to improvements in care. Quality measurement is essential to monitor effectiveness and to guide improvements in healthcare. Ten databases, including Medline, were searched electronically to identify measures assessing the quality of breast cancer care in women (diagnosis, treatment, followup, documentation of care). Eligible studies measured adherence to standards of breast cancer care in women diagnosed with, or in treatment for, any histological type of adenocarcinoma of the breast. Reference lists of studies, review articles, web sites, and files of experts were searched manually. Evidence appraisal entailed dual independent assessments of data (e.g., indicators used in quality measurement). The extent of each quality indicator's scientific validation as a measure was assessed. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) was asked to contribute quality measures under development. Sixty relevant reports identified 58 studies with 143 indicators assessing adherence to quality breast cancer care. A paucity of validated indicators (n = 12), most of which assessed quality of life, only permitted a qualitative data synthesis. Most quality indicators evaluated processes of care. While some studies revealed patterns of under-use of care, all adherence data require confirmation using validated quality measures. ASCO's current development of a set of quality measures relating to breast cancer care may hold the key to conducting definitive studies.

Quality of life and religious-spiritual coping in palliative cancer care patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ticiane Dionizio de Sousa Matos

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Objectives: to compare the quality of life and religious-spiritual coping of palliative cancer care patients with a group of healthy participants; assess whether the perceived quality of life is associated with the religious-spiritual coping strategies; identify the clinical and sociodemographic variables related to quality of life and religious-spiritual coping. Method: cross-sectional study involving 96 palliative outpatient care patient at a public hospital in the interior of the state of São Paulo and 96 healthy volunteers, using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Brief Religious-Spiritual Coping scale. Results: 192 participants were interviewed who presented good quality of life and high use of Religious-Spiritual Coping. Greater use of negative Religious-Spiritual Coping was found in Group A, as well as lesser physical and psychological wellbeing and quality of life. An association was observed between quality of life scores and Religious-Spiritual Coping (p<0.01 in both groups. Male sex, Catholic religion and the Brief Religious-Spiritual Coping score independently influenced the quality of life scores (p<0.01. Conclusion: both groups presented high quality of life and Religious-Spiritual Coping scores. Male participants who were active Catholics with higher Religious-Spiritual Coping scores presented a better perceived quality of life, suggesting that this coping strategy can be stimulated in palliative care patients.

Patient satisfaction and quality of surgical care in US hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Thomas C; Orav, E John; Jha, Ashish K

2015-01-01

The relationship between patient satisfaction and surgical quality is unclear for US hospitals. Using national data, we examined if hospitals with high patient satisfaction have lower levels of performance on accepted measures of the quality and efficiency of surgical care. Federal policymakers have made patient satisfaction a core measure for the way hospitals are evaluated and paid through the value-based purchasing program. There is broad concern that performance on patient satisfaction may have little or even a negative correlation with the quality of surgical care, leading to potential trade-offs in efforts to improve patient experience with other surgical quality measures. We used the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey data from 2010 and 2011 to assess performance on patient experience. We used national Medicare data on 6 common surgical procedures to calculate measures of surgical efficiency and quality: risk-adjusted length of stay, process score, risk-adjusted mortality rate, risk-adjusted readmission rate, and a composite z score across all 4 metrics. Multivariate models adjusting for hospital characteristics were used to assess the independent relationships between patient satisfaction and measures of surgical efficiency and quality. Of the 2953 US hospitals that perform one of these 6 procedures, the median patient satisfaction score was 69.5% (interquartile range, 63%-75.5%). Length of stay was shorter in hospitals with the highest levels of patient satisfaction (7.1 days vs 7.7 days, P patient satisfaction had the higher process of care performance (96.5 vs 95.5, P patient satisfaction also had a higher composite score for quality across all measures (P patient satisfaction provided more efficient care and were associated with higher surgical quality. Our findings suggest there need not be a trade-off between good quality of care for surgical patients and ensuring a positive patient experience.

Concordance between nurse-reported quality of care and quality of care as publicly reported by nurse-sensitive indicators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D. Stalpers (Dewi); R.A.M.M. Kieft (Renate A. M. M.); D. van der Linden (Dimitri); M.J. Kaljouw (Marian J.); M.J. Schuurmans (Marieke )

2016-01-01

textabstractBackground: Nurse-sensitive indicators and nurses' satisfaction with the quality of care are two commonly used ways to measure quality of nursing care. However, little is known about the relationship between these kinds of measures. This study aimed to examine concordance between

Quality improvement education to improve performance on ulcerative colitis quality measures and care processes aligned with National Quality Strategy priorities.

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Laurence; Moreo, Kathleen

2015-01-01

Studies on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have reported suboptimal approaches to patient care. In the United States, the findings have motivated leading gastroenterology organizations to call for initiatives that support clinicians in aligning their practices with quality measures for IBD and priorities of the National Quality Strategy (NQS). We designed and implemented a quality improvement (QI) education program on ulcerative colitis in which patient charts were audited for 30 gastroenterologists before (n = 300 charts) and after (n = 290 charts) they participated in QI-focused educational activities. Charts were audited for nine measures, selected for their alignment with four NQS priorities: making care safer, ensuring patient engagement, promoting communication, and promoting effective treatment practices. Four of the measures, including guideline-directed vaccinations and assessments of disease type and activity, were part of the CMS Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS). The other five measures involved counseling patients on various topics in ulcerative colitis management, documentation of side effects, assessment of adherence status, and simplification of dosing. The gastroenterologists also completed baseline and post-education surveys designed to assess qualitative outcomes. One of the educational interventions was a private audit feedback session conducted for each gastroenterologist. The sessions were designed to support participants in identifying measures reflecting suboptimal care quality and developing action plans for improvement. In continuous improvement cycles, follow-up interventions included QI tools and educational monographs. Across the nine chart variables, post-education improvements ranged from 0% to 48%, with a mean improvement of 15.9%. Survey findings revealed improvements in self-reported understanding of quality measures and intentions to apply them to practice, and lower rates of perceived significant barriers to high-quality

Providing quality nutrition care in acute care hospitals: perspectives of nutrition care personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, H H; Vesnaver, E; Davidson, B; Allard, J; Laporte, M; Bernier, P; Payette, H; Jeejeebhoy, K; Duerksen, D; Gramlich, L

2014-04-01

Malnutrition is common in acute care hospitals worldwide and nutritional status can deteriorate during hospitalisation. The aim of the present qualitative study was to identify enablers and challenges and, specifically, the activities, processes and resources, from the perspective of nutrition care personnel, required to provide quality nutrition care. Eight hospitals participating in the Nutrition Care in Canadian Hospitals study provided focus group data (n = 8 focus groups; 91 participants; dietitians, dietetic interns, diet technicians and menu clerks), which were analysed thematically. Five themes emerged from the data: (i) developing a nutrition culture, where nutrition practice is considered important to recovery of patients and teams work together to achieve nutrition goals; (ii) using effective tools, such as screening, evidence-based protocols, quality, timely and accurate patient information, and appropriate and quality food; (iii) creating effective systems to support delivery of care, such as communications, food production and delivery; (iv) being responsive to care needs, via flexible food systems, appropriate menus and meal supplements, up to date clinical care and including patient and family in the care processes; and (v) uniting the right person with the right task, by delineating roles, training staff, providing sufficient time to undertake these important tasks and holding staff accountable for their care. The findings of the present study are consistent with other work and provide guidance towards improving the nutrition culture in hospitals. Further empirical work on how to support successful implementation of nutrition care processes is needed. © 2013 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Quality of Care and Outcomes of Heart Failure Among Patients With Schizophrenia in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jorgensen, Mette; Mainz, Jan; Egstrup, Kenneth

2017-01-01

care among patients with schizophrenia included patient-specific factors (age, gender, Global Assessment of Functioning [GAF] score, alcohol or drug abuse, duration of schizophrenia); provider-specific factors (quality of schizophrenia care); and system-specific factors (patient-volume defined......Research on the association between schizophrenia and the quality of care and clinical outcomes of heart failure (HF) remains sparse. This nationwide study compared the quality of care and clinical outcomes of HF among Danish patients with and without schizophrenia. In a population-based cohort...... study, we identified 36,718 patients with incident HF with hospital contacts, including 108 with schizophrenia, using Danish registries between 2004 and 2013. High quality of HF care was defined as receiving ≥ 80% guideline-recommended process-performance measures of care. Potential predictors of HF...

Multimorbidity and quality of preventive care in Swiss university primary care cohorts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sven Streit

Full Text Available Caring for patients with multimorbidity is common for generalists, although such patients are often excluded from clinical trials, and thus such trials lack of generalizability. Data on the association between multimorbidity and preventive care are limited. We aimed to assess whether comorbidity number, severity and type were associated with preventive care among patients receiving care in Swiss University primary care settings.We examined a retrospective cohort composed of a random sample of 1,002 patients aged 50-80 years attending four Swiss university primary care settings. Multimorbidity was defined according to the literature and the Charlson index. We assessed the quality of preventive care and cardiovascular preventive care with RAND's Quality Assessment Tool indicators. Aggregate scores of quality of provided care were calculated by taking into account the number of eligible patients for each indicator.Participants (mean age 63.5 years, 44% women had a mean of 2.6 (SD 1.9 comorbidities and 67.5% had 2 or more comorbidities. The mean Charlson index was 1.8 (SD 1.9. Overall, participants received 69% of recommended preventive care and 84% of cardiovascular preventive care. Quality of care was not associated with higher numbers of comorbidities, both for preventive care and for cardiovascular preventive care. Results were similar in analyses using the Charlson index and after adjusting for age, gender, occupation, center and number of visits. Some patients may receive less preventive care including those with dementia (47% and those with schizophrenia (35%.In Swiss university primary care settings, two thirds of patients had 2 or more comorbidities. The receipt of preventive and cardiovascular preventive care was not affected by comorbidity count or severity, although patients with certain comorbidities may receive lower levels of preventive care.

Concordance between nurse-reported quality of care and quality of care as publicly reported by nurse-sensitive indicators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stalpers, Dewi; Kieft, Renate A M M; Van Der Linden, Dimitri; Kaljouw, Marian J.; Schuurmans, Marieke J.

2016-01-01

Background: Nurse-sensitive indicators and nurses' satisfaction with the quality of care are two commonly used ways to measure quality of nursing care. However, little is known about the relationship between these kinds of measures. This study aimed to examine concordance between nurse-sensitive

High-Reliability Health Care: Getting There from Here

Science.gov (United States)

Chassin, Mark R; Loeb, Jerod M

2013-01-01

Context Despite serious and widespread efforts to improve the quality of health care, many patients still suffer preventable harm every day. Hospitals find improvement difficult to sustain, and they suffer “project fatigue” because so many problems need attention. No hospitals or health systems have achieved consistent excellence throughout their institutions. High-reliability science is the study of organizations in industries like commercial aviation and nuclear power that operate under hazardous conditions while maintaining safety levels that are far better than those of health care. Adapting and applying the lessons of this science to health care offer the promise of enabling hospitals to reach levels of quality and safety that are comparable to those of the best high-reliability organizations. Methods We combined the Joint Commission's knowledge of health care organizations with knowledge from the published literature and from experts in high-reliability industries and leading safety scholars outside health care. We developed a conceptual and practical framework for assessing hospitals’ readiness for and progress toward high reliability. By iterative testing with hospital leaders, we refined the framework and, for each of its fourteen components, defined stages of maturity through which we believe hospitals must pass to reach high reliability. Findings We discovered that the ways that high-reliability organizations generate and maintain high levels of safety cannot be directly applied to today's hospitals. We defined a series of incremental changes that hospitals should undertake to progress toward high reliability. These changes involve the leadership's commitment to achieving zero patient harm, a fully functional culture of safety throughout the organization, and the widespread deployment of highly effective process improvement tools. Conclusions Hospitals can make substantial progress toward high reliability by undertaking several specific

From Perspectives of the Elderly: Quality of care in Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorian R. Woods

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This article reviews state-of-the-art findings on care and quality from published research from 2003-2014 in Germany, specifically from the perspective of the elderly. It is based on a larger project on care and quality in Germany that was funded by the Hans Böckler Foundation. The study provides a much needed overview of current issues on quality and care in light of increased pressure to address care and changes in German social policy. Although quality also encompasses conditions for professional care work and informal carers, this article focuses on the elderly as recipients of care, their perspectives and the ways in which they are involved in their care. Research on care quality from the perspective of the elderly is highlighted in the following themes: 1 the rights of the elderly to quality care 2 elderly perception of satisfaction and quality of outcomes of care, 3 documentation of care as quality control and time, 4 active aging and 5 equality of access. Results show that long-term care rights are more clearly defined and expanded, but enforcement problems are present. Satisfaction with care is traced to good communication with carers, but time for care is scarce. Active aging has become a central focus of care and more research on equal access is needed. The article outlines strengths and weaknesses in German quality care provision as well as learning effects for other countries.

Assessing systems quality in a changing health care environment: the 2009-10 national survey of children with special health care needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Strickland, Bonnie B; Jones, Jessica R; Newacheck, Paul W; Bethell, Christina D; Blumberg, Stephen J; Kogan, Michael D

2015-02-01

To provide a national, population-based assessment of the quality of the health care system for children and youth with special health care needs using a framework of six health care system quality indicators. 49,242 interviews with parents of children with special health care needs from the 2009-10 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN) were examined to determine the extent to which CSHCN had access to six quality indicators of a well-functioning system of services. Criteria for determining access to each indicator were established and applied to the survey data to estimate the proportion of CSHCN meeting each quality indicator by socio-demographic status and functional limitations. 17.6% of CSHCN received care consistent with all six quality indicators. Results for each component of the system quality framework ranged from a high of 70.3% of parents reporting that they shared decision-making with healthcare providers to a low of 40% of parents reporting receipt of services needed for transition to adult health care. Attainment rates were lower for CSHCN of minority racial and ethnic groups, those residing in households where English was not the primary language, those in lower income households, and those most impacted by their health condition. Only a small proportion of CSHCN receive all identified attributes of a high-quality system of services. Moreover, significant disparities exist whereby those most impacted by their conditions and those in traditionally disadvantaged groups are served least well by the current system. A small proportion of CSHCN appear to remain essentially outside of the system, having met few if any of the elements studied.

Many quality measurements, but few quality measures assessing the quality of breast cancer care in women: A systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Li

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Breast cancer in women is increasingly frequent, and care is complex, onerous and expensive, all of which lend urgency to improvements in care. Quality measurement is essential to monitor effectiveness and to guide improvements in healthcare. Methods Ten databases, including Medline, were searched electronically to identify measures assessing the quality of breast cancer care in women (diagnosis, treatment, followup, documentation of care. Eligible studies measured adherence to standards of breast cancer care in women diagnosed with, or in treatment for, any histological type of adenocarcinoma of the breast. Reference lists of studies, review articles, web sites, and files of experts were searched manually. Evidence appraisal entailed dual independent assessments of data (e.g., indicators used in quality measurement. The extent of each quality indicator's scientific validation as a measure was assessed. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO was asked to contribute quality measures under development. Results Sixty relevant reports identified 58 studies with 143 indicators assessing adherence to quality breast cancer care. A paucity of validated indicators (n = 12, most of which assessed quality of life, only permitted a qualitative data synthesis. Most quality indicators evaluated processes of care. Conclusion While some studies revealed patterns of under-use of care, all adherence data require confirmation using validated quality measures. ASCO's current development of a set of quality measures relating to breast cancer care may hold the key to conducting definitive studies.

Knowledge Sharing, Control of Care Quality, and Innovation in Intensive Care Nursing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paunova, Minna; Li-Ying, Jason; Egerod, Ingrid Eugenie

This study investigates the influence of nurse knowledge sharing behavior on nurse innovation, given different conditions of control of care quality within the intensive care unit (ICU). After conducting a number of interviews and a pilot study, we carried out a multi-source survey study of more...... control of care quality and innovate may be conflicting, unless handled properly....

Providing High-Quality Support Services to Home-Based Child Care: A Conceptual Model and Literature Review

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Bromer, Juliet; Korfmacher, Jon

2017-01-01

Research Findings: Home-based child care accounts for a significant proportion of nonparental child care arrangements for young children in the United States. Yet the early care and education field lacks clear models or pathways for how to improve quality in these settings. The conceptual model presented here articulates the components of…

Quantitative comparison of measurements of urgent care service quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Hong; Prybutok, Victor; Prybutok, Gayle

2016-01-01

Service quality and patient satisfaction are essential to health care organization success. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry introduced SERVQUAL, a prominent service quality measure not yet applied to urgent care. We develop an instrument to measure perceived service quality and identify the determinants of patient satisfaction/ behavioral intentions. We examine the relationships among perceived service quality, patient satisfaction and behavioral intentions, and demonstrate that urgent care service quality is not equivalent using measures of perceptions only, differences of expectations minus perceptions, ratio of perceptions to expectations, and the log of the ratio. Perceptions provide the best measure of urgent care service quality.

Quality in the provision of headache care. 2: defining quality and its indicators.

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Peters, Michele; Jenkinson, Crispin; Perera, Suraj; Loder, Elizabeth; Jensen, Rigmor; Katsarava, Zaza; Gil Gouveia, Raquel; Broner, Susan; Steiner, Timothy

2012-08-01

The objective of this study was to define "quality" of headache care, and develop indicators that are applicable in different settings and cultures and to all types of headache. No definition of quality of headache care has been formulated. Two sets of quality indicators, proposed in the US and UK, are limited to their localities and/or specific to migraine and their development received no input from people with headache. We first undertook a literature review. Then we conducted a series of focus-group consultations with key stakeholders (doctors, nurses and patients) in headache care. From the findings we proposed a large number of putative quality indicators, and refined these and reduced their number in consultations with larger international groups of stakeholder representatives. We formulated a definition of quality from the quality indicators. Five main themes were identified: (1) headache services; (2) health professionals; (3) patients; (4) financial resources; (5) political agenda and legislation. An initial list of 160 putative quality indicators in 14 domains was reduced to 30 indicators in 9 domains. These gave rise to the following multidimensional definition of quality of headache care: "Good-quality headache care achieves accurate diagnosis and individualized management, has appropriate referral pathways, educates patients about their headaches and their management, is convenient and comfortable, satisfies patients, is efficient and equitable, assesses outcomes and is safe." Quality in headache care is multidimensional and resides in nine essential domains that are of equal importance. The indicators are currently being tested for feasibility of use in clinical settings.

The association between culture, climate and quality of care in primary health care teams.

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Hann, Mark; Bower, Peter; Campbell, Stephen; Marshall, Martin; Reeves, David

2007-09-01

Culture and climate represent shared beliefs and values that may influence quality of care in health care teams, and which could be manipulated for quality improvement. However, there is a lack of agreement on the theoretical and empirical relationships between climate and culture, and their relative power as predictors of quality of care. This study sought to examine the association between self-report measures of climate and culture in primary care teams and comprehensive measures of quality of care. The data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of 492 professionals in 42 general practices in England. Self-report measures of culture (the Competing Values Framework) and climate (the Team Climate Inventory) were used, together with validated measures of quality of care from medical records and self-report. The majority of practices could be characterized as 'clan' culture type. Practices with a dominant clan culture scored higher on climate for participation and teamwork. There were no associations between culture and quality of care, and only limited evidence of associations between climate and quality. The current analysis would not support the hypothesis that culture and climate are important predictors of quality of care in primary care. Although larger studies are required to provide a definitive test, the results may suggest the need for a more complex model of the associations between culture, climate and outcomes, and further research may be required into the interaction between culture and climate with other determinants of behaviour such as internal and external incentives.

Medical Assistant-based care management for high risk patients in small primary care practices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Freund, Tobias; Peters-Klimm, Frank; Boyd, Cynthia M.

2016-01-01

Background: Patients with multiple chronic conditions are at high risk of potentially avoidable hospital admissions, which may be reduced by care coordination and self-management support. Medical assistants are an increasingly available resource for patient care in primary care practices. Objective......: To determine whether protocol-based care management delivered by medical assistants improves patient care in patients at high risk of future hospitalization in primary care. Design: Two-year cluster randomized clinical trial. Setting: 115 primary care practices in Germany. Patients: 2,076 patients with type 2......, and monitoring delivered by medical assistants with usual care. Measurements: All-cause hospitalizations at 12 months (primary outcome) and quality of life scores (Short Form 12 Health Questionnaire [SF-12] and the Euroqol instrument [EQ-5D]). Results: Included patients had, on average, four co-occurring chronic...

The ReACH Collaborative--improving quality home care.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyce, Patricia Simino; Pace, Karen B; Lauder, Bonnie; Solomon, Debra A

2007-08-01

Research on quality of care has shown that vigorous leadership, clear goals, and compatible incentive systems are critical factors in influencing successful change (Institute of Medicine, 2001). Quality improvement is a complex process, and clinical quality improvement applications are more likely to be effective in organizations that are ready for change and have strong leaders, who are committed to creating and reinforcing a work environment that supports quality goals (Shortell, 1998). Key leadership roles include providing clear and sustained direction, articulating a coherent set of values and incentives to guide group and individual activities, aligning and integrating improvement efforts into organizational priorities, obtaining or freeing up resources to implement improvement activities, and creating a culture of "continuous improvement" that encourages and rewards the pursuit and achievement of shared quality aims (Institute of Medicine, 2001, 70-71). In summary, home health care is a significant and growing sector of the health care system that provides care to millions of vulnerable patients. There seems little doubt that home health agencies want to focus on quality of care issues and provide optimal care to home-based patients. Furthermore, there is a growing awareness of the value for adapting innovative, effective models for improving the culture of home care practice. This awareness stems from the notion that some agencies see quality improvement activities as a way for them to distinguish themselves not only to regulators and customers, but also to meet the cultural and transformational needs to remain viable in a constantly evolving and competitive health care industry.

Gauging food and nutritional care quality in hospitals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diez-Garcia Rosa

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Food and nutritional care quality must be assessed and scored, so as to improve health institution efficacy. This study aimed to detect and compare actions related to food and nutritional care quality in public and private hospitals. Methods Investigation of the Hospital Food and Nutrition Service (HFNS of 37 hospitals by means of structured interviews assessing two quality control corpora, namely nutritional care quality (NCQ and hospital food service quality (FSQ. HFNS was also evaluated with respect to human resources per hospital bed and per produced meal. Results Comparison between public and private institutions revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between the number of hospital beds per HFNS staff member (p = 0.02 and per dietitian (p  Conclusions Food and nutritional care in hospital is still incipient, and actions concerning both nutritional care and food service take place on an irregular basis. It is clear that the design of food and nutritional care in hospital indicators is mandatory, and that guidelines for the development of actions as well as qualification and assessment of nutritional care are urgent.

The High Cost of Child Care Puts Quality Care out of Reach for Many Families. Issue Brief.

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Schulman, Karen

This issue brief presents data on the cost of child care, collected from local child care resource and referral agencies (CCR&Rs) surveyed by the Children's Defense Fund. The report's key findings on the high cost of child care are: (1) child care for a 4-year-old in a child care center averages $4,000 to $6,000 a year in cities and states…

Integration of HIV care into maternal health services: a crucial change required in improving quality of obstetric care in countries with high HIV prevalence.

Science.gov (United States)

Madzimbamuto, Farai D; Ray, Sunanda; Mogobe, Keitshokile D

2013-06-10

The failure to reduce preventable maternal deaths represents a violation of women's right to life, health, non-discrimination and equality. Maternal deaths result from weaknesses in health systems: inadequate financing of services, poor information systems, inefficient logistics management and most important, the lack of investment in the most valuable resource, the human resource of health workers. Inadequate senior leadership, poor communication and low staff morale are cited repeatedly in explaining low quality of healthcare. Vertical programmes undermine other service areas by creating competition for scarce skilled staff, separate reporting systems and duplication of training and tasks. Confidential enquiries and other quality-improvement activities have identified underlying causes of maternal deaths, but depend on the health system to respond with remedies. Instead of separate vertical programmes for management of HIV, tuberculosis, and reproductive health, integration of care and joint management of pregnancy and HIV would be more effective. Addressing health system failures that lead to each woman's death would have a wider impact on improving the quality of care provided in the health service as a whole. More could be achieved if existing resources were used more effectively. The challenge for African countries is how to get into practice interventions known from research to be effective in improving quality of care. Advocacy and commitment to saving women's lives are crucial elements for campaigns to influence governments and policy -makers to act on the findings of these enquiries. Health professional training curricula should be updated to include perspectives on patients' rights, communication skills, and integrated approaches, while using adult learning methods and problem-solving techniques. In countries with high rates of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), indirect causes of maternal deaths from HIV-associated infections now exceed direct causes

Stakeholders' roles and responsibilities regarding quality of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Huotari, Päivi; Havrdová, Zuzana

2016-10-10

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe how different stakeholders (society, managers, employees and clients) can together ensure the quality of care. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative data were collected from four focus group interviews conducted in three countries. All interviewees were pursuing a master's degree in social and/or health care management and had begun working in their field after completing their bachelor's degree. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. Findings The society and managers are responsible for the care system as a whole and must apply system-oriented, rather than sector-oriented, thinking. Employees are responsible for ensuring the continuity of client services in their work, and managers and employees share the responsibility of achieving the organisational goals and quality standards. The clients are responsible for acting as responsible service users and providing the required information to obtain care. Communication was strongly emphasised in the data, and it necessitates cross-professional and organisational boundaries, professional and political boundaries, as well as boundaries between the professional and the client. Research limitations/implications Since the interviewees were all pursuing a master's degree in social and/or health care management, when reflecting on their work experience, they may have also been reflecting what they had learned in university. Practical implications This study emphasises the importance of collaboration and communication between stakeholders in ensuring the quality of care. Unpredictable economies, the ageing population and the ongoing integration and reorganisation of health and social care services in Europe highlight systematic and strategic approach in quality of care. Originality/value This paper claims that communication between different care stakeholders gives a more systematic and coherent framework for the quality of care. Quality of care is a

[Quality Indicators of Primary Health Care Facilities in Austria].

Science.gov (United States)

Semlitsch, Thomas; Abuzahra, Muna; Stigler, Florian; Jeitler, Klaus; Posch, Nicole; Siebenhofer, Andrea

2017-07-11

Background The strengthening of primary health care is one major goal of the current national health reform in Austria. In this context, a new interdisciplinary concept was developed in 2014 that defines structures and requirements for future primary health care facilities. Objective The aim of this project was the development of quality indicators for the evaluation of the scheduled primary health care facilities in Austria, which are in accordance with the new Austrian concept. Methods We used the RAND/NPCRDC method for the development and selection of the quality indicators. We conducted systematic literature searches for existing measures in international databases for quality indicators as well as in bibliographic databases. All retrieved measures were evaluated and rated by an expert panel in a 2-step process regarding relevance and feasibility. Results Overall, the literature searches yielded 281 potentially relevant quality indicators, which were summarized to 65 different quality measures for primary health care. Out of these, the panel rated and accepted 30 measures as relevant and feasible for use in Austria. Five of these indicators were structure measures, 14 were process measures and the remaining 11 were outcome measures. Based on the Austrian primary health care concept, the final set of quality indicators was grouped in the 5 following domains: Access to primary health care (5), quality of care (15), continuity of care (5), coordination of care (4), and safety (1). Conclusion This set of quality measures largely covers the four defined functions of primary health care. It enables standardized evaluation of primary health care facilities in Austria regarding the implementation of the Austrian primary health care concept as well as improvement in healthcare of the population. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Knowledge Sharing, Control of Care Quality, and Innovation in Intensive Care Nursing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paunova, Minna; Li-Ying, Jason; Egerod, Ingrid Eugenie

2016-01-01

affect innovation differently, depending on the strength as well as type of control of care quality within the unit. Healthcare organizations face an increasing pressure to innovate while controlling and accounting for care quality. This study demonstrates that the increasing pressures to implement...

Inter-regional competition and quality in hospital care.

Science.gov (United States)

Aiura, Hiroshi

2013-06-01

This study analyzes the effect of episode-of-care payment and patient choice on waiting time and the comprehensive quality of hospital care. The study assumes that two hospitals are located in two cities with different population sizes and compete with each other. We find that the comprehensive quality of hospital care as well as waiting time of both hospitals improve with an increase in payment per episode of care. However, we also find that the extent of these improvements differs according to the population size of the cities where the hospitals are located. Under the realistic assumptions that hospitals involve significant labor-intensive work, we find the improvements in comprehensive quality and waiting time in a hospital located in a small city to be greater than those in a hospital located in a large city. The result implies that regional disparity in the quality of hospital care decreases with an increase in payment per episode of care.

Older people's perceptions of quality of care.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sixma, H.J.

2001-01-01

Purpose: User views on quality of care are generally assessed by patients satisfaction questionnaires. However, doubts have been cast on the validity and reliability of such instruments. Aim of this paper are: (1) to describe the development of a new instrument measuring quality of care from the

Assessing Systems Quality in a Changing Health Care Environment: The 2009–10 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Jessica R.; Newacheck, Paul W.; Bethell, Christina D.; Blumberg, Stephen J.; Kogan, Michael D.

2016-01-01

To provide a national, population-based assessment of the quality of the health care system for children and youth with special health care needs using a framework of six health care system quality indicators. 49,242 interviews with parents of children with special health care needs from the 2009–10 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN) were examined to determine the extent to which CSHCN had access to six quality indicators of a well-functioning system of services. Criteria for determining access to each indicator were established and applied to the survey data to estimate the proportion of CSHCN meeting each quality indicator by socio-demographic status and functional limitations. 17.6 % of CSHCN received care consistent with all six quality indicators. Results for each component of the system quality framework ranged from a high of 70.3 % of parents reporting that they shared decision-making with healthcare providers to a low of 40 % of parents reporting receipt of services needed for transition to adult health care. Attainment rates were lower for CSHCN of minority racial and ethnic groups, those residing in households where English was not the primary language, those in lower income households, and those most impacted by their health condition. Only a small proportion of CSHCN receive all identified attributes of a high-quality system of services. Moreover, significant disparities exist whereby those most impacted by their conditions and those in traditionally disadvantaged groups are served least well by the current system. A small proportion of CSHCN appear to remain essentially outside of the system, having met few if any of the elements studied. PMID:24912943

Effects of primary care team social networks on quality of care and costs for patients with cardiovascular disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Mundt, Marlon P; Gilchrist, Valerie J; Fleming, Michael F; Zakletskaia, Larissa I; Tuan, Wen-Jan; Beasley, John W

2015-03-01

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States. Primary care teams can be best suited to improve quality of care and lower costs for patients with cardiovascular disease. This study evaluates the associations between primary care team communication, interaction, and coordination (ie, social networks); quality of care; and costs for patients with cardiovascular disease. Using a sociometric survey, 155 health professionals from 31 teams at 6 primary care clinics identified with whom they interact daily about patient care. Social network analysis calculated variables of density and centralization representing team interaction structures. Three-level hierarchical modeling evaluated the link between team network density, centralization, and number of patients with a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease for controlled blood pressure and cholesterol, counts of urgent care visits, emergency department visits, hospital days, and medical care costs in the previous 12 months. Teams with dense interactions among all team members were associated with fewer hospital days (rate ratio [RR] = 0.62; 95% CI, 0.50-0.77) and lower medical care costs (-$556; 95% CI, -$781 to -$331) for patients with cardiovascular disease. Conversely, teams with interactions revolving around a few central individuals were associated with increased hospital days (RR = 1.45; 95% CI, 1.09-1.94) and greater costs ($506; 95% CI, $202-$810). Team-shared vision about goals and expectations mediated the relationship between social network structures and patient quality of care outcomes. Primary care teams that are more interconnected and less centralized and that have a shared team vision are better positioned to deliver high-quality cardiovascular disease care at a lower cost. © 2015 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Differential Susceptibility to Parenting and Quality Child Care

Science.gov (United States)

Pluess, Michael; Belsky, Jay

2010-01-01

Research on differential susceptibility to rearing suggests that infants with difficult temperaments are disproportionately affected by parenting and child care quality, but a major U.S. child care study raises questions as to whether quality of care influences social adjustment. One thousand three hundred sixty-four American children from…

Quality in the provision of headache care. 1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peters, Michele; Perera, Suraj; Loder, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

and improvement of headache services in other settings. Some studies had evaluated the use of existing disability and quality of life instruments, but their findings had not been incorporated into quality indicators. Existing headache care quality indicators are incomplete and inadequate for purpose......Widely accepted quality indicators for headache care would provide a basis not only for assessment of care but also, and more importantly, for its improvement. The objective of the study was to identify and summarize existing information on such indicators: specifically, did indicators exist, how...... had they been developed, what aspects of headache care did they relate to and how and with what utility were they being used? A systematic review of the medical literature was performed. A total of 32 articles met criteria for inclusion. We identified 55 existing headache quality indicators of which...

Consumer Quality Index Chronic Skin Disease (CQI-CSD): a new instrument to measure quality of care from the patient's perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

van Cranenburgh, O D; Krol, M W; Hendriks, M C P; de Rie, M A; Smets, E M A; de Korte, J; Sprangers, M A G

2015-10-01

Assessing quality of care from the patient's perspective is considered to be highly relevant. As a standardized instrument in dermatology was lacking, we developed a patient experience questionnaire regarding chronic skin disease care: the Consumer Quality Index Chronic Skin Disease (CQI-CSD). (i) To evaluate the dimensional structure of the CQI-CSD, (ii) to assess its ability to distinguish between hospitals according to patients' experiences with quality of care, (iii) to explore patients' experiences with dermatological care and priorities for quality improvement according to the patients, and (iv) to optimize the questionnaire based on psychometric results and stakeholders' input. In a cross-sectional study 5647 adult patients who received dermatological care in the past 12 months in 20 hospitals were randomly selected and invited to fill out the questionnaire. Overall 1160 of 3989 eligible respondents (29% response rate, 30-87 per hospital) were included for analysis. The CQI-CSD comprised seven scales with high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0·74-0·92). The instrument's discriminative power was limited. Patients were positive about the care provided by nurses and doctors, but the provision of information by healthcare providers, accessibility of care and patient involvement could be improved. We optimized the CQI-CSD, resulting in a revised questionnaire containing 65 items. In conclusion, the CQI-CSD is a useful instrument to measure patient experiences with dermatological care. © 2015 British Association of Dermatologists.

Quality of Big Data in health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Sukumar, Sreenivas R; Natarajan, Ramachandran; Ferrell, Regina K

2015-01-01

The current trend in Big Data analytics and in particular health information technology is toward building sophisticated models, methods and tools for business, operational and clinical intelligence. However, the critical issue of data quality required for these models is not getting the attention it deserves. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the issues of data quality in the context of Big Data health care analytics. The insights presented in this paper are the results of analytics work that was done in different organizations on a variety of health data sets. The data sets include Medicare and Medicaid claims, provider enrollment data sets from both public and private sources, electronic health records from regional health centers accessed through partnerships with health care claims processing entities under health privacy protected guidelines. Assessment of data quality in health care has to consider: first, the entire lifecycle of health data; second, problems arising from errors and inaccuracies in the data itself; third, the source(s) and the pedigree of the data; and fourth, how the underlying purpose of data collection impact the analytic processing and knowledge expected to be derived. Automation in the form of data handling, storage, entry and processing technologies is to be viewed as a double-edged sword. At one level, automation can be a good solution, while at another level it can create a different set of data quality issues. Implementation of health care analytics with Big Data is enabled by a road map that addresses the organizational and technological aspects of data quality assurance. The value derived from the use of analytics should be the primary determinant of data quality. Based on this premise, health care enterprises embracing Big Data should have a road map for a systematic approach to data quality. Health care data quality problems can be so very specific that organizations might have to build their own custom software or data

Nursing practice environment, quality of care, and morale of hospital nurses in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Anzai, Eriko; Douglas, Clint; Bonner, Ann

2014-06-01

The purpose of this study was to describe Japanese hospital nurses' perceptions of the nursing practice environment and examine its association with nurse-reported ability to provide quality nursing care, quality of patient care, and ward morale. A cross-sectional survey design was used including 223 nurses working in 12 acute inpatient wards in a large Japanese teaching hospital. Nurses rated their work environment favorably overall using the Japanese version of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index. Subscale scores indicated high perceptions of physician relations and quality of nursing management, but lower scores for staffing and resources. Ward nurse managers generally rated the practice environment more positively than staff nurses except for staffing and resources. Regression analyses found the practice environment was a significant predictor of quality of patient care and ward morale, whereas perceived ability to provide quality nursing care was most strongly associated with years of clinical experience. These findings support interventions to improve the nursing practice environment, particularly staffing and resource adequacy, to enhance quality of care and ward morale in Japan. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS CONSUMER PERCEPTION OF QUALITY DENTAL CARE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Надежда Алексеевна Кудинова

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose to examine the motivational space, values and health-social and psychological portrait of patients who rated the quality of dental care.Methodology historical, sociological, statistical. Results: In a market economy, patients’ satisfaction is of one of the most important regulators of demand.  Estimate of the quality of dental services (QDS depends on the patients having stable socio-psychological status being in a certain system of values, in space of some motives and needs. Got data have revealed that nearly 17.5% of patients dissatisfied with the quality of dental care, but the size of the motivational area of this group by nearly 20% higher than that of their opponents. With the structure of the motives are no such positions as "visiting the dentist enters my behavior stereotype", "I want to know the details of my dental health" and "The process of dental treatment gives me pleasure" In the group of patients who are satisfied QDS, relevance value orientation "good health" is 1.5 times the value of "education" in 2.5 times, and the value of "high social security" is 4.5 times higher than among the dissatisfied patients.Practical implications public health and health care.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2013-2-22

PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS CONSUMER PERCEPTION OF QUALITY DENTAL CARE

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Kudinova Nadezhda Alekseevna

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose to examine the motivational space, values ​​and health-social and psychological portrait of patients who rated the quality of dental care. Methodology historical, sociological, statistical. Results: In a market economy, patients’ satisfaction is of one of the most important regulators of demand. Estimate of the quality of dental services (QDS depends on the patients having stable socio-psychological status being in a certain system of values, in space of some motives and needs. Got data have revealed that nearly 17.5% of patients dissatisfied with the quality of dental care, but the size of the motivational area of this group by nearly 20% higher than that of their opponents. With the structure of the motives are no such positions as "visiting the dentist enters my behavior stereotype", "I want to know the details of my dental health" and "The process of dental treatment gives me pleasure" In the group of patients who are satisfied QDS, relevance value orientation "good health" is 1.5 times the value of "education" in 2.5 times, and the value of "high social security" is 4.5 times higher than among the dissatisfied patients. Practical implications public health and health care.

Evaluating the Effect of Software Quality Characteristics on Health Care Quality Indicators

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Sakineh Aghazadeh

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Various types of software are used in health care organizations to manage information and care processes. The quality of software has been an important concern for both health authorities and designers of Health Information Technology. Thus, assessing the effect of software quality on the performance quality of healthcare institutions is essential. Method: The most important health care quality indicators in relation to software quality characteristics are provided via an already performed literature review. ISO 9126 standard model is used for definition and integration of various characteristics of software quality. The effects of software quality characteristics and sub-characteristics on the healthcare indicators are evaluated through expert opinion analyses. A questionnaire comprising of 126 questions of 10-point Likert scale was used to gather opinions of experts in the field of Medical/Health Informatics. The data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Results: Our findings showed that software Maintainability was rated as the most effective factor on user satisfaction (R2 =0.89 and Functionality as the most important and independent variable affecting patient care quality (R2 =0.98. Efficiency was considered as the most effective factor on workflow (R2 =0.97, and Maintainability as the most important factor that affects healthcare communication (R2 =0.95. Usability and Efficiency were rated as the most effectual factor affecting patient satisfaction (R2 =0.80, 0.81. Reliability, Maintainability, and Efficiency were considered as the main factors affecting care costs (R2 =0.87, 0.74, 0.87. Conclusion: We presented a new model based on ISO standards. The model demonstrates and weighs the relations between software quality characteristics and healthcare quality indicators. The clear relationships between variables and the type of the metrics and measurement methods used in the model make it a reliable method to assess

Does quality influence utilization of primary health care? Evidence from Haiti.

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Gage, Anna D; Leslie, Hannah H; Bitton, Asaf; Jerome, J Gregory; Joseph, Jean Paul; Thermidor, Roody; Kruk, Margaret E

2018-06-20

Expanding coverage of primary healthcare services such as antenatal care and vaccinations is a global health priority; however, many Haitians do not utilize these services. One reason may be that the population avoids low quality health facilities. We examined how facility infrastructure and the quality of primary health care service delivery were associated with community utilization of primary health care services in Haiti. We constructed two composite measures of quality for all Haitian facilities using the 2013 Service Provision Assessment survey. We geographically linked population clusters from the Demographic and Health Surveys to nearby facilities offering primary health care services. We assessed the cross-sectional association between quality and utilization of four primary care services: antenatal care, postnatal care, vaccinations and sick child care, as well as one more complex service: facility delivery. Facilities performed poorly on both measures of quality, scoring 0.55 and 0.58 out of 1 on infrastructure and service delivery quality respectively. In rural areas, utilization of several primary cares services (antenatal care, postnatal care, and vaccination) was associated with both infrastructure and quality of service delivery, with stronger associations for service delivery. Facility delivery was associated with infrastructure quality, and there was no association for sick child care. In urban areas, care utilization was not associated with either quality measure. Poor quality of care may deter utilization of beneficial primary health care services in rural areas of Haiti. Improving health service quality may offer an opportunity not only to improve health outcomes for patients, but also to expand coverage of key primary health care services.

Authentic leadership and nurses' voice behaviour and perceptions of care quality.

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Wong, Carol A; Spence Laschinger, Heather K; Cummings, Greta G

2010-11-01

The purpose of the present study was to test a theoretical model linking authentic leadership with staff nurses' trust in their manager, work engagement, voice behaviour and perceived unit care quality. Authentic leadership is a guide for effective leadership needed to build trust and healthier work environments because there is special attention given to honesty, integrity and high ethical standards in the development of leader-follower relationships. A non-experimental, predictive survey design was used to test the hypothesized model in a random sample of 280 (48% response rate) registered nurses working in acute care hospitals in Ontario. The final model fitted the data acceptably (χ(2)=17.24, d.f.=11, P=0.10, IFI=0.99, CFI=0.99, RMSEA=0.045). Authentic leadership significantly and positively influenced staff nurses' trust in their manager and work engagement which in turn predicted voice behaviour and perceived unit care quality. These findings suggest that authentic leadership and trust in the manager play a role in fostering trust, work engagement, voice behaviour and perceived quality of care. Nursing leaders can improve care quality and workplace conditions by paying attention to facilitating genuine and positive relationships with their staff. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Antenatal care strengthening for improved quality of care in Jimma, Ethiopia

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Villadsen, Sarah Fredsted; Negussie, Dereje; GebreMariam, Abebe

2015-01-01

and assess the implementation process and effectiveness on quality of ANC in Jimma, Ethiopia. METHODS: The intervention comprised trainings, supervisions, equipment, development of health education material, and adaption of guidelines. It was implemented at public facilities and control sites were included...... in the evaluation. Improved content of care (physical examinations, laboratory testing, tetanus toxoid (TT)-immunization, health education, conduct of health professionals, and waiting time) were defined as proximal project outcomes and increased quality of care (better identification of health problems....... The effect of the intervention was assessed by comparing the change in quality of care from before to after the intervention period at intervention sites, relative to control sites, using logistic mixed effect regression. RESULTS: The continued attention to the ANC provision during implementation stimulated...

Educational background of nurses and their perceptions of the quality and safety of patient care.

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Swart, Reece P; Pretorius, Ronel; Klopper, Hester

2015-04-30

International health systems research confirms the critical role that nurses play in ensuring the delivery of high quality patient care and subsequent patient safety. It is therefore important that the education of nurses should prepare them for the provision of safe care of a high quality. The South African healthcare system is made up of public and private hospitals that employ various categories of nurses. The perceptions of the various categories of nurses with reference to quality of care and patient safety are unknown in South Africa (SA). To determine the relationship between the educational background of nurses and their perceptions of quality of care and patient safety in private surgical units in SA. A descriptive correlational design was used. A questionnaire was used for data collection, after which hierarchical linear modelling was utilised to determine the relationships amongst the variables. Both the registered- and enrolled nurses seemed satisfied with the quality of care and patient safety in the units were they work. Enrolled nurses (ENs) indicated that current efforts to prevent errors are adequate, whilst the registered nurses (RNs) obtained high scores in reporting incidents in surgical wards. From the results it was evident that perceptions of RNs and ENs related to the quality of care and patient safety differed. There seemed to be a statistically-significant difference between RNs and ENs perceptions of the prevention of errors in the unit, losing patient information between shifts and patient incidents related to medication errors, pressure ulcers and falls with injury.

Impact of rural residence and health system structure on quality of liver care.

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Catherine Rongey

Full Text Available Specialist physician concentration in urban areas can affect access and quality of care for rural patients. As effective drug treatment for hepatitis C (HCV becomes increasingly available, the extent to which rural patients needing HCV specialists face access or quality deficits is unknown. We sought to determine the influence of rural residency on access to HCV specialists and quality of liver care.The study used a national cohort of 151,965 Veterans Health Administration (VHA patients with HCV starting in 2005 and followed to 2009. The VHA's constant national benefit structure reduces the impact of insurance as an explanation for observed disparities. Multivariate cox proportion regression models for each quality indicator were performed.Thirty percent of VHA patients with HCV reside in rural and highly rural areas. Compared to urban residents, highly rural (HR 0.70, CI 0.65-0.75 and rural (HR 0.96, CI 0.94-0.97 residents were significantly less likely to access HCV specialty care. The quality indicators were more mixed. While rural residents were less likely to receive HIV screening, there were no significant differences in hepatitis vaccinations, endoscopic variceal and hepatocellular carcinoma screening between the geographic subgroups. Of note, highly rural (HR 1.31, CI 1.14-1.50 and rural residents (HR 1.06, CI 1.02-1.10 were more likely to receive HCV therapy. Of those treated for HCV, a third received therapy from a non-specialist provider.Rural patients have less access to HCV specialists, but this does not necessarily translate to quality deficits. The VHA's efforts to improve specialty care access, rural patient behavior and decentralization of HCV therapy beyond specialty providers may explain this contradiction. Lessons learned within the VHA are critical for US healthcare systems restructuring into accountable care organizations that acquire features of integrated systems.

Home Health Aides' Perceptions of Quality Care: Goals, Challenges, and Implications for a Rapidly Changing Industry.

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Franzosa, Emily; Tsui, Emma K; Baron, Sherry

2018-02-01

Home care payment models, quality measures, and care plans are based on physical tasks workers perform, ignoring relational care that supports clients' cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. As states seek to rein in costs and improve the efficiency and quality of care, they will need to consider how to measure and support relational care. In four focus groups ( n = 27) of unionized, agency-based New York City home health aides, workers reported aide-client relationships were a cornerstone of high-quality care, and building them required communication, respect, and going the extra mile. Since much of this care was invisible outside the worker-client relationship, aides received little supervisory support and felt excluded from the formal care team. Aligning payment models with quality requires understanding the full scope of services aides provide and a quality work environment that offers support and supervision, engages aides in patient care, and gives them a voice in policy decisions.

Preventive Care Quality of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Associations of Organizational Characteristics With Performance.

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Albright, Benjamin B; Lewis, Valerie A; Ross, Joseph S; Colla, Carrie H

2016-03-01

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are a delivery and payment model aiming to coordinate care, control costs, and improve quality. Medicare ACOs are responsible for 8 measures of preventive care quality. To create composite measures of preventive care quality and examine associations of ACO characteristics with performance. This is a cross-sectional study of Medicare Shared Savings Program and Pioneer participants. We linked quality performance to descriptive data from the National Survey of ACOs. We created composite measures using exploratory factor analysis, and used regression to assess associations with organizational characteristics. Of 252 eligible ACOs, 246 reported on preventive care quality, 177 of which completed the survey (response rate=72%). In their first year, ACOs lagged behind PPO performance on the majority of comparable measures. We identified 2 underlying factors among 8 measures and created composites for each: disease prevention, driven by vaccines and cancer screenings, and wellness screening, driven by annual health screenings. Participation in the Advanced Payment Model, having fewer specialists, and having more Medicare ACO beneficiaries per primary care provider were associated with significantly better performance on both composites. Better performance on disease prevention was also associated with inclusion of a hospital, greater electronic health record capabilities, a larger primary care workforce, and fewer minority beneficiaries. ACO preventive care quality performance is related to provider composition and benefitted by upfront investment. Vaccine and cancer screening quality performance is more dependent on organizational structure and characteristics than performance on annual wellness screenings, likely due to greater complexity in eligibility determination and service administration.

High-reliability health care: getting there from here.

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Chassin, Mark R; Loeb, Jerod M

2013-09-01

Despite serious and widespread efforts to improve the quality of health care, many patients still suffer preventable harm every day. Hospitals find improvement difficult to sustain, and they suffer "project fatigue" because so many problems need attention. No hospitals or health systems have achieved consistent excellence throughout their institutions. High-reliability science is the study of organizations in industries like commercial aviation and nuclear power that operate under hazardous conditions while maintaining safety levels that are far better than those of health care. Adapting and applying the lessons of this science to health care offer the promise of enabling hospitals to reach levels of quality and safety that are comparable to those of the best high-reliability organizations. We combined the Joint Commission's knowledge of health care organizations with knowledge from the published literature and from experts in high-reliability industries and leading safety scholars outside health care. We developed a conceptual and practical framework for assessing hospitals' readiness for and progress toward high reliability. By iterative testing with hospital leaders, we refined the framework and, for each of its fourteen components, defined stages of maturity through which we believe hospitals must pass to reach high reliability. We discovered that the ways that high-reliability organizations generate and maintain high levels of safety cannot be directly applied to today's hospitals. We defined a series of incremental changes that hospitals should undertake to progress toward high reliability. These changes involve the leadership's commitment to achieving zero patient harm, a fully functional culture of safety throughout the organization, and the widespread deployment of highly effective process improvement tools. Hospitals can make substantial progress toward high reliability by undertaking several specific organizational change initiatives. Further research

Information-Seeking in Family Day Care: Access, Quality and Personal Cost

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Corr, L.; Davis, E.; Cook, K.; Mackinnon, A.; Sims, M.; Herrman, H.

2014-01-01

Family day-care (FDC) educators work autonomously to provide care and education for children of mixed ages, backgrounds and abilities. To meet the demands and opportunities of their work and regulatory requirements, educators need access to context-relevant and high quality information. No previous research has examined how and where these workers…

Quality of Primary Health Care for children and adolescents living with HIV

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Leticia do Nascimento

Full Text Available Abstract Objective: to evaluate the quality of health care for children and adolescents living with HIV, among the different types of Primary Health Care services of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul. Method: cross-sectional study, developed with 118 Primary Health Care professionals. The Primary Care Evaluation Instrument, Professional version, was used. For verification of the variables associated with the high score, Poisson Regression was used. Results: the professionals of the Family Health Strategy, when compared to those of the Primary Health Units, obtained a greater degree of orientation to primary care, both for the overall score and for the derived attributes score, as well as for the integrality and community orientation attributes. A specialization in Primary Health Care, other employment and a statutory work contract were associated with quality of care. Conclusion: the Family Health Strategy was shown to provide higher quality health care for children and adolescents living with HIV, however, the coverage is still low. The need was highlighted to expand this coverage and invest in vocational training directed toward Primary Care and making the professionals effective, through public selection procedure, as well as an improvement program that recognizes the care requirements, in these settings, of children and adolescents infected with HIV.

Families' experiences of intensive care unit quality of care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Hanne Irene; Gerritsen, Rik T; Koopmans, Matty

2015-01-01

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to adapt and provide preliminary validation for questionnaires evaluating families' experiences of quality of care for critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study took place in 2 European ICUs. Based on literature...... validity. RESULTS: A total of 110 family members participated. Response rate was 87%. For all questions, a median of 97% (94%-99%) was assessed as relevant, and a median of 98% (97%-100%), as understandable. Median ceiling effect was 41% (30%-47%). There was a median of 0% missing data (0%-1%). Test......-retest reliability showed a median weighted κ of 0.69 (0.53-0.83). Validation showed significant correlation between total scores and key questions. CONCLUSIONS: The questions were assessed as relevant and understandable, providing high face and content validity. Ceiling effects were comparable to similar...

Assessment of the Quality of Delivered Care for Iranian patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis by Using Comprehensive Quality Measurement Model in Health Care (CQMH

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Saeed Karimi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Quality of care has become increasingly critical in the evaluation of healthcare and healthcare services. The aim of this study was to assess quality of delivered care among patients with rheumatoid arthritis using a model of Comprehensive Quality Measurement in Health Care (CQMH. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 172 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA who were received care from private clinics of Isfahan University of medical sciences in 2013. CQMH questionnaires were used for assessing the quality of care. Data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows. Results: The mean scores of Quality Index, Service Quality (SQ, Technical Quality (TQ, and Costumer Quality (CQ were 72.70, 79.09, 68.54 and 70.25 out of 100, respectively. For CQ only 19.8% of participations staying the course of action even under stress and financial constraints, there is a significant gap between what RA care they received with what was recommended in the guideline for TQ. Scores of service quality was low in majority of aspects especially in "availability of support group" section. Conclusion: Study shows paradoxical findings and expresses that quality scores of service delivery for patients with arthritis rheumatoid from patient's perspective is relatively low. Therefore, for fixing this paradoxical problem, improving the participation of patients and their family and empowering them for self-management and decision should be regarded by health systems.

A dementia care management intervention: which components improve quality?

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Chodosh, Joshua; Pearson, Marjorie L; Connor, Karen I; Vassar, Stefanie D; Kaisey, Marwa; Lee, Martin L; Vickrey, Barbara G

2012-02-01

To analyze whether types of providers and frequency of encounters are associated with higher quality of care within a coordinated dementia care management (CM) program for patients and caregivers. Secondary analysis of intervention-arm data from a dementia CM cluster-randomized trial, where intervention participants interacted with healthcare organization care managers (HOCMs), community agency care managers (CACMs), and/ or healthcare organization primary care providers (HOPCPs) over 18 months. Encounters of 238 patient/caregivers (dyads) with HOCMs, CACMs, and HOPCPs were abstracted from care management electronic records. The quality domains of assessment, treatment, education/support, and safety were measured from medical record abstractions and caregiver surveys. Mean percentages of met quality indicators associated with exposures to each provider type and frequency were analyzed using multivariable regression, adjusting for participant characteristics and baseline quality. As anticipated, for all 4 domains, the mean percentage of met dementia quality indicators was 15.5 to 47.2 percentage points higher for dyads with HOCM--only exposure than for dyads with none (all P < .008); not anticipated were higher mean percentages with increasing combinations of provider-type exposure-up to 73.7 percentage points higher for safety (95% confidence interval 65.2%-82.1%) with exposure to all 3 provider types compared with no exposure. While greater frequency of HOCM-dyad encounters was associated with higher quality (P < .04), this was not so for other provider types. HOCMs' interactions with dyads was essential for dementia care quality improvement. Additional coordinated interactions with primary care and community agency staff yielded even higher quality.

Key interventions and quality indicators for quality improvement of STEMI care: a RAND Delphi survey.

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Aeyels, Daan; Sinnaeve, Peter R; Claeys, Marc J; Gevaert, Sofie; Schoors, Danny; Sermeus, Walter; Panella, Massimiliano; Coeckelberghs, Ellen; Bruyneel, Luk; Vanhaecht, Kris

2017-12-13

Identification, selection and validation of key interventions and quality indicators for improvement of in hospital quality of care for ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. A structured literature review was followed by a RAND Delphi Survey. A purposively selected multidisciplinary expert panel of cardiologists, nurse managers and quality managers selected and validated key interventions and quality indicators prior for quality improvement for STEMI. First, 34 experts (76% response rate) individually assessed the appropriateness of items to quality improvement on a nine point Likert scale. Twenty-seven key interventions, 16 quality indicators at patient level and 27 quality indicators at STEMI care programme level were selected. Eighteen additional items were suggested. Experts received personal feedback, benchmarking their score with group results (response rate, mean, median and content validity index). Consequently, 32 experts (71% response rate) openly discussed items with an item-content validity index above 75%. By consensus, the expert panel validated a final set of 25 key interventions, 13 quality indicators at patient level and 20 quality indicators at care programme level prior for improvement of in hospital care for STEMI. A structured literature review and multidisciplinary expertise was combined to validate a set of key interventions and quality indicators prior for improvement of care for STEMI. The results allow researchers and hospital staff to evaluate and support quality improvement interventions in a large cohort within the context of a health care system.

Surgical adverse outcomes and patients' evaluation of quality of care: inherent risk or reduced quality of care?

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Marang-van de Mheen, Perla J; van Duijn-Bakker, Nanny; Kievit, Job

2007-12-01

Previous research has shown that sicker patients are less satisfied with their healthcare, but specific effects of adverse health outcomes have not been investigated. The present study aimed to assess whether patients who experience adverse outcomes, in hospital or after discharge, differ in their evaluation of quality of care compared with patients without adverse outcomes. In hospital adverse outcomes were prospectively recorded by surgeons and surgical residents as part of routine care. Four weeks after discharge, patients were interviewed by telephone about the occurrence of post-discharge adverse outcomes, and their overall evaluation of quality of hospital care and specific suggestions for improvements in the healthcare provided. Of 2145 surgical patients admitted to the Leiden University Medical Center in 2003, 1876 (88%) agreed to be interviewed. Overall evaluation was less favourable by patients who experienced post-discharge adverse outcomes only (average 19% lower). These patients were also more often dissatisfied (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.24 to 3.31) than patients without adverse outcomes, and they more often suggested that improvements were needed in medical care (OR 2.07, 1.45 to 2.95) and that patients were discharged too early (OR 3.26, 1.72 to 6.20). The effect of in hospital adverse outcomes alone was not statistically significant. Patients with both in hospital and post-discharge adverse outcomes also found the quality of care to be lower (on average 33% lower) than patients without adverse outcomes. Post-discharge adverse outcomes negatively influence patients' overall evaluation of quality of care and are perceived as being discharged too early, suggesting that patients need better information at discharge.

Service quality and patient experiences of ambulatory care in a specialized clinic vs. a general hospital.

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De Regge, Melissa; De Groote, Hélène; Trybou, Jeroen; Gemmel, Paul; Brugada, Pedro

2017-04-01

Health care organizations are constantly looking for ways to establish a differential advantage to attract customers. To this end, service quality has become an important differentiator in the strategy of health care organizations. In this study, we compared the service quality and patient experience in an ambulatory care setting of a physician-owned specialized facility with that of a general hospital. A comparative case study with a mixed method design was employed. Data were gathered through a survey on health service quality and patient experience, completed with observations, walkthroughs, and photographic material. Service quality and patient experiences are high in both the investigated health care facilities. A significant distinction can be made between the two facilities in terms of interpersonal quality (p = 0.001) and environmental quality (P ≤ 0.001), in favor of the medical center. The difference in environmental quality is also indicated by the scores given by participants who had been in both facilities. Qualitative analysis showed higher administrative quality in the medical center. Environmental quality and patient experience can predict the interpersonal quality; for environmental quality, interpersonal quality and age are significant predictors. Service quality and patient experiences are high in both facilities. The medical center has higher service quality for interpersonal and environmental service quality and is more process-centered.

Does integrated care lead to both improved service quality and lower care cost

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Waldeyer, Regina; Siegel, Achim; Daul, Gisela; Gaiser, Karin; Hildebrandt, Helmut; Köster, Ingrid; Schubert, Ingrid; Stunder, Brigitte; Stützle, Yvonne

2010-01-01

Purpose and context ‘Gesundes Kinzigtal’ is one of the few population-based integrated care approaches in Germany, organising care across all health service sectors and indications. The management company and its contracting partners (the physicians’ network in the region and two statutory health insurers) strive to reach a higher quality of care at a lower overall cost as compared with the German standard. During its first two years of operation (2006–2007), the Kinzigtal project achieved surprisingly positive financial results compared with its reference value. To gain independent evidence on the quality aspects of the system, the management company and its partners provided a remarkable budget for its evaluation by independent scientific institutions. Case description and data sources We will present interim results of a population-based controlled cohort study. In this study, quality of care is checked by relying on health and service quality indicators that have been constructed from health insurers’ administrative data (claims data). Interim results are presented for the intervention region (Kinzigtal area) and the control region (the rest of Baden-Württemberg, i.e., Southwest Germany). Preliminary conclusions and discussion The evaluation of ‘Gesundes Kinzigtal’ is in full progress. Until now, there is no evidence that the surprisingly positive financial results of the Kinzigtal system have been achieved at the expense of care quality. Rather, Gesundes Kinzigtal Integrated Care seems to be about to increasingly realize comparative advantages regarding health service quality (in comparison to the control region).

Reducing the length of postnatal hospital stay: implications for cost and quality of care.

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Bowers, John; Cheyne, Helen

2016-01-15

UK health services are under pressure to make cost savings while maintaining quality of care. Typically reducing the length of time patients stay in hospital and increasing bed occupancy are advocated to achieve service efficiency. Around 800,000 women give birth in the UK each year making maternity care a high volume, high cost service. Although average length of stay on the postnatal ward has fallen substantially over the years there is pressure to make still further reductions. This paper explores and discusses the possible cost savings of further reductions in length of stay, the consequences for postnatal services in the community, and the impact on quality of care. We draw on a range of pre-existing data sources including, national level routinely collected data, workforce planning data and data from national surveys of women's experience. Simulation and a financial model were used to estimate excess demand, work intensity and bed occupancy to explore the quantitative, organisational consequences of reducing the length of stay. These data are discussed in relation to findings of national surveys to draw inferences about potential impacts on cost and quality of care. Reducing the length of time women spend in hospital after birth implies that staff and bed numbers can be reduced. However, the cost savings may be reduced if quality and access to services are maintained. Admission and discharge procedures are relatively fixed and involve high cost, trained staff time. Furthermore, it is important to retain a sufficient bed contingency capacity to ensure a reasonable level of service. If quality of care is maintained, staffing and bed capacity cannot be simply reduced proportionately: reducing average length of stay on a typical postnatal ward by six hours or 17% would reduce costs by just 8%. This might still be a significant saving over a high volume service however, earlier discharge results in more women and babies with significant care needs at home. Quality

Evidence-based medicine and quality of care.

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Dickenson, Donna; Vineis, Paolo

2002-01-01

In this paper we set out to examine the arguments for and against the claim that Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) will improve the quality of care. In particular, we examine the following issues: 1. Are there hidden ethical assumptions in the methodology of EBM? 2. Is there a tension between the duty of care and EBM? 3. How can patient preferences be incorporated into quality guidelines and effectiveness studies? 4. Is there a tension between the quality of a particular intervention and overall quality of care? 5. Are certain branches of medicine and patient groups innately or prima facie disadvantaged by a shift to EBM? In addition we consider a case study in the ethics of EBM, on a clinical trial concerning the collection of umbilical cord blood in utero and ex utero, during or after labour in childbirth.

The quality of primary care provided to the elderly in Israel.

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Podell, Rachel; Shriqui, Vered Kaufman; Sagy, Yael Wolff; Manor, Orly; Ben-Yehuda, Arie

2018-06-04

In view of increasing global and local trends in population ageing and the high healthcare utilization rates among the elderly, this study assesses the quality of primary care provided to the elderly population in Israel. It examines changes in quality over time, how quality varies across sub-groups of the elderly, and how quality in Israel compares with other countries. Data originate from the National Program for Quality Indicators in Community Healthcare (QICH), which operates in full collaboration with Israel's four HMOs. The study population included all elderly Israeli residents aged 65 years or older during 2002-2015 (N = 879,671 residents in 2015). Seven elderly-specific quality indicators from within the QICH framework were included: influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations, benzodiazepine overuse, long-acting benzodiazepine use, body weight documentation, weight loss and underweight. In addition, two non-age specific quality indicators relating to diabetes mellitus were included: the rate of HbA1C documentation and uncontrolled diabetes. Data were collected from patient electronic medical records (EMR) in accordance with each HMO, and aggregated by three variables: gender, age, and socio-economic position (SEP). During the measurement period, vaccination rates significantly increased (Influenza: from 42.0% in 2002 to 63.2% in 2015; and pneumococcal vaccination: from 25.8% in 2005 to 77.0% in 2015). Body weight documentation (in 65-74 year old persons) increased from only 16.3% in 2003 to 80.9% in 2015. The rate of underweight (BMI quality of care for the elderly in comparison with the international healthcare community. Overall, the quality of care received by elderly Israelis has improved substantially since measurements first began; yet, females receive lower quality care than males. Monitoring results of primary care quality indicators can contribute to population's successful aging; both chronic conditions at earlier ages (e.g. diabetes), and

Postacute rehabilitation quality of care: toward a shared conceptual framework.

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Jesus, Tiago Silva; Hoenig, Helen

2015-05-01

There is substantial interest in mechanisms for measuring, reporting, and improving the quality of health care, including postacute care (PAC) and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, current activities generally are either too narrow or too poorly specified to reflect PAC rehabilitation quality of care. In part, this is caused by a lack of a shared conceptual understanding of what construes quality of care in PAC rehabilitation. This article presents the PAC-rehab quality framework: an evidence-based conceptual framework articulating elements specifically pertaining to PAC rehabilitation quality of care. The widely recognized Donabedian structure, process, and outcomes (SPO) model furnished the underlying structure for the PAC-rehab quality framework, and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framed the functional outcomes. A comprehensive literature review provided the evidence base to specify elements within the SPO model and ICF-derived framework. A set of macrolevel-outcomes (functional performance, quality of life of patient and caregivers, consumers' experience, place of discharge, health care utilization) were defined for PAC rehabilitation and then related to their (1) immediate and intermediate outcomes, (2) underpinning care processes, (3) supportive team functioning and improvement processes, and (4) underlying care structures. The role of environmental factors and centrality of patients in the framework are explicated as well. Finally, we discuss why outcomes may best measure and reflect the quality of PAC rehabilitation. The PAC-rehab quality framework provides a conceptually sound, evidence-based framework appropriate for quality of care activities across the PAC rehabilitation continuum. Copyright © 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nationwide quality improvement in lung cancer care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Erik Winther; Green, Anders; Oesterlind, Kell

2013-01-01

To improve prognosis and quality of lung cancer care the Danish Lung Cancer Group has developed a strategy consisting of national clinical guidelines and a clinical quality and research database. The first edition of our guidelines was published in 1998 and our national lung cancer registry...... was opened for registrations in 2000. This article describes methods and results obtained by multidisciplinary collaboration and illustrates how quality of lung cancer care can be improved by establishing and monitoring result and process indicators....

Monitoring quality in Israeli primary care: The primary care physicians' perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nissanholtz-Gannot Rachel

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Since 2000, Israel has had a national program for ongoing monitoring of the quality of the primary care services provided by the country's four competing non-profit health plans. Previous research has demonstrated that quality of care has improved substantially since the program's inception and that the program enjoys wide support among health plan managers. However, prior to this study there were anecdotal and journalistic reports of opposition to the program among primary care physicians engaged in direct service delivery; these raised serious questions about the extent of support among physicians nationally. Goals To assess how Israeli primary care physicians experience and rate health plan efforts to track and improve the quality of care. Method The study population consisted of primary care physicians employed by the health plans who have responsibility for the quality of care of a panel of adult patients. The study team randomly sampled 250 primary-care physicians from each of the four health plans. Of the 1,000 physicians sampled, 884 met the study criteria. Every physician could choose whether to participate in the survey by mail, e-mail, or telephone. The anonymous questionnaire was completed by 605 physicians – 69% of those eligible. The data were weighted to reflect differences in sampling and response rates across health plans. Main findings The vast majority of respondents (87% felt that the monitoring of quality was important and two-thirds (66% felt that the feedback and subsequent remedial interventions improved medical care to a great extent. Almost three-quarters (71% supported continuation of the program in an unqualified manner. The physicians with the most positive attitudes to the program were over age 44, independent contract physicians, and either board-certified in internal medicine or without any board-certification (i.e., residents or general practitioners. At the same time, support for the

Responses of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health-Care Services to Continuous Quality Improvement Initiatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Larkins, Sarah; Woods, Cindy E; Matthews, Veronica; Thompson, Sandra C; Schierhout, Gill; Mitropoulos, Maxwell; Patrao, Tania; Panzera, Annette; Bailie, Ross Stewart

2015-01-01

Indigenous primary health-care (PHC) services participating in continuous quality improvement (CQI) cycles show varying patterns of performance over time. Understanding this variation is essential to scaling up and sustaining quality improvement initiatives. The aim of this study is to examine trends in quality of care for services participating in the ABCD National Research Partnership and describe patterns of change over time and examine health service characteristics associated with positive and negative trends in quality of care. PHC services providing care for Indigenous people in urban, rural, and remote northern Australia that had completed at least three annual audits of service delivery for at least one aspect of care (n = 73). Longitudinal clinical audit data from use of four clinical audit tools (maternal health, child health, preventive health, Type 2 diabetes) between 2005 and 2013 were analyzed. Health center performance was classified into six patterns of change over time: consistent high improvement (positive), sustained high performance (positive), decline (negative), marked variability (negative), consistent low performance (negative), and no specific increase or decrease (neutral). Backwards stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between health service characteristics and positive or negative trends in quality of care. Trends in quality of care varied widely between health services across the four audit tools. Regression analyses of health service characteristics revealed no consistent statistically significant associations of population size, remoteness, governance model, or accreditation status with positive or negative trends in quality of care. The variable trends in quality of care as reflected by CQI audit tools do not appear to be related to easily measurable health service characteristics. This points to the need for a deeper or more nuanced understanding of factors that moderate the

Palliative Care Specialist Consultation Is Associated With Supportive Care Quality in Advanced Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Walling, Anne M; Tisnado, Diana; Ettner, Susan L; Asch, Steven M; Dy, Sydney M; Pantoja, Philip; Lee, Martin; Ahluwalia, Sangeeta C; Schreibeis-Baum, Hannah; Malin, Jennifer L; Lorenz, Karl A

2016-10-01

Although recent randomized controlled trials support early palliative care for patients with advanced cancer, the specific processes of care associated with these findings and whether these improvements can be replicated in the broader health care system are uncertain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of palliative care consultation and its association with specific processes of supportive care in a national cohort of Veterans using the Cancer Quality ASSIST (Assessing Symptoms Side Effects and Indicators of Supportive Treatment) measures. We abstracted data from 719 patients' medical records diagnosed with advanced lung, colorectal, or pancreatic cancer in 2008 over a period of three years or until death who received care in the Veterans Affairs Health System to evaluate the association of palliative care specialty consultation with the quality of supportive care overall and by domain using a multivariate regression model. All but 54 of 719 patients died within three years and 293 received at least one palliative care consult. Patients evaluated by a palliative care specialist at diagnosis scored seven percentage points higher overall (P specialist consultation is associated with better quality of supportive care in three advanced cancers, predominantly driven by improvements in information and care planning. This study supports the effectiveness of early palliative care consultation in three common advanced cancers within the Veterans Affairs Health System and provides a greater understanding of what care processes palliative care teams influence. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The relationships between the combination of person- and organization-related conditions and patients' perceptions of palliative care quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandsdalen, Tuva; Høye, Sevald; Rystedt, Ingrid; Grøndahl, Vigdis Abrahamsen; Hov, Reidun; Wilde-Larsson, Bodil

2017-12-06

Little is known about the combination of person- and organization- related conditions and the relationships with patients' perspectives of care quality. Such a combination could contribute knowledge reflecting the complexity of clinical practice, and enhance individualized care. The aim was to investigate the relationships between the combination of person- and organization-related conditions and patients' perceptions of palliative care quality. A cross-sectional study, including 191 patients in the late palliative phase (73% response rate) admitted to hospice inpatient care (n = 72), hospice day care (n = 51), palliative units in nursing homes (n = 30) and home care (n = 38), was conducted between November 2013 and December 2014, using the instrument Quality from the Patients' Perspective specific to palliative care (QPP-PC). Data were analysed, using analysis of covariance, to explore the amount of the variance in the dependent variables (QPP-PC) that could be explained by combination of the independent variables - Person- and organization-related conditions, - while controlling for differences in covariates. Patients scored the care received and the subjective importance as moderate to high. The combination of person- and organization - related conditions revealed that patients with a high sense of coherence, lower age (person - related conditions) and being in a ward with access to and availability of physicians (organization-related condition) might be associated with significantly higher scores for the quality of care received. Gender (women), daily contact with family and friends, and low health-related quality of life (person-related conditions) might be associated with higher scores for subjective importance of the aspects of care quality. Healthcare personnel, leaders and policy makers need to pay attention to person- and organization-related conditions in order to provide person-centered palliative care of high quality. Further studies from

Quality along the continuum: a health facility assessment of intrapartum and postnatal care in Ghana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robin C Nesbitt

Full Text Available To evaluate quality of routine and emergency intrapartum and postnatal care using a health facility assessment, and to estimate "effective coverage" of skilled attendance in Brong Ahafo, Ghana.We conducted an assessment of all 86 health facilities in seven districts in Brong Ahafo. Using performance of key signal functions and the availability of relevant drugs, equipment and trained health professionals, we created composite quality categories in four dimensions: routine delivery care, emergency obstetric care (EmOC, emergency newborn care (EmNC and non-medical quality. Linking the health facility assessment to surveillance data we estimated "effective coverage" of skilled attendance as the proportion of births in facilities of high quality.Delivery care was offered in 64/86 facilities; only 3-13% fulfilled our requirements for the highest quality category in any dimension. Quality was lowest in the emergency care dimensions, with 63% and 58% of facilities categorized as "low" or "substandard" for EmOC and EmNC, respectively. This implies performing less than four EmOC or three EmNC signal functions, and/or employing less than two skilled health professionals, and/or that no health professionals were present during our visit. Routine delivery care was "low" or "substandard" in 39% of facilities, meaning 25/64 facilities performed less than six routine signal functions and/or had less than two skilled health professionals and/or less than one midwife. While 68% of births were in health facilities, only 18% were in facilities with "high" or "highest" quality in all dimensions.Our comprehensive facility assessment showed that quality of routine and emergency intrapartum and postnatal care was generally low in the study region. While coverage with facility delivery was 68%, we estimated "effective coverage" of skilled attendance at 18%, thus revealing a large "quality gap." Effective coverage could be a meaningful indicator of progress towards

Quality of care in reproductive health programmes: monitoring and evaluation of quality improvement.

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Kwast, B E

1998-12-01

As 200 million women become pregnant every year, at least 30 million will develop life-threatening complications requiring emergency treatment at any level of society where they live. But it is a basic human right that pregnancy be made safe for all women as complications are mostly unpredictable. This requires reproductive health programmes which are responsive to women's and their families' needs and expectations on the one hand and enhancement of community participation, high quality obstetric services, and both provider collaboration and satisfaction on the other. Monitoring and evaluation of these facets need to be an integral part of any safe motherhood programme, not only to assess progress, but also to use this information for subsequent planning and implementation cycles of national programmes. Lessons learned from ten years' implementation of Safe Motherhood programmes indicate that process and outcome indicators are more feasible for short-term evaluation purposes than impact indicators, such as maternal mortality reduction. The former are described in this paper with relevant country examples. This is the third, and last, article in a series on quality of care in reproductive health programmes. The first (Kwast 1998a) contains an overview of concepts, assessments, barriers and improvements of quality of care. The second (Kwast 1998b) addresses education issues for quality improvement.

Physician education programme improves quality of diabetes care

African Journals Online (AJOL)

diabetes have been compiled and circulated to health care workers, but ... studied and attempted to improve the quality of diabetes care in primary care ..... project indicators in the Indian Health Service primary care setting. Diabetes Care ...

Clinical leadership for high-quality care: developing future ward leaders.

Science.gov (United States)

Enterkin, Judith; Robb, Elizabeth; McLaren, Susan

2013-03-01

This paper reports upon the development, delivery and evaluation of a leadership programme for aspiring Ward Leaders in one National Health Service Trust in England. The ward sister role is fundamental to quality patient care and clinical leadership, however the role is increasingly difficult to recruit to. A lack of formal preparation and skills development for the role has been widely acknowledged. An evaluation of a programme of education for leadership. Three cohorts (n = 60) completed the programme. Semi-structured questionnaires were completed by participants (n = 36: 60%) at the conclusion of the programme. Qualitative data from questionnaires was analysed using a thematic approach. Participants reported increased political, organizational and self-awareness, increased confidence, feelings of empowerment and the ability to empower others. Opportunities for networking with peers were valued within the action learning approach. For some participants, career intentions were clarified through reflection. The majority of participants had benefited from the leadership programme and valued this development as an empowering preparation for future careers. Investment in leadership preparation for future ward sister roles is strongly recommended as part of a strategy designed to enhance quality improvement, career path development, workforce empowerment and retention. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Association between education and quality of diabetes care in Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Flatz, Aline; Casillas, Alejandra; Stringhini, Silvia; Zuercher, Emilie; Burnand, Bernard; Peytremann-Bridevaux, Isabelle

2015-01-01

Low socioeconomic status is associated with higher prevalence of diabetes, worse outcomes, and worse quality of care. We explored the relationship between education, as a measure of socioeconomic status, and quality of care in the Swiss context. Data were drawn from a population-based survey of 519 adults with diabetes during fall 2011 and summer 2012 in a canton of Switzerland. We assessed patients and diabetes characteristics. Eleven indicators of quality of care were considered (six of process and five of outcomes of care). After bivariate analyses, regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, and diabetic complications were performed to assess the relationship between education and quality of care. Of 11 quality-of-care indicators, three were significantly associated with education: funduscopy (patients with tertiary versus primary education were more likely to get the exam: odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.004-3.3) and two indicators of health-related quality of life (patients with tertiary versus primary education reported better health-related quality of life: Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life: β=0.6 [95% CI, 0.2-0.97]; SF-12 mean physical component summary score: β=3.6 [95% CI, 0.9-6.4]). Our results suggest the presence of educational inequalities in quality of diabetes care. These findings may help health professionals focus on individuals with increased needs to decrease health inequalities.

The Effects of Quality of Care on Costs: A Conceptual Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Nuckols, Teryl K; Escarce, José J; Asch, Steven M

2013-01-01

Context The quality of health care and the financial costs affected by receiving care represent two fundamental dimensions for judging health care performance. No existing conceptual framework appears to have described how quality influences costs. Methods We developed the Quality-Cost Framework, drawing from the work of Donabedian, the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method, reports by the Institute of Medicine, and other sources. Findings The Quality-Cost Framework describes how health-related quality of care (aspects of quality that influence health status) affects health care and other costs. Structure influences process, which, in turn, affects proximate and ultimate outcomes. Within structure, subdomains include general structural characteristics, circumstance-specific (e.g., disease-specific) structural characteristics, and quality-improvement systems. Process subdomains include appropriateness of care and medical errors. Proximate outcomes consist of disease progression, disease complications, and care complications. Each of the preceding subdomains influences health care costs. For example, quality improvement systems often create costs associated with monitoring and feedback. Providing appropriate care frequently requires additional physician visits and medications. Care complications may result in costly hospitalizations or procedures. Ultimate outcomes include functional status as well as length and quality of life; the economic value of these outcomes can be measured in terms of health utility or health-status-related costs. We illustrate our framework using examples related to glycemic control for type 2 diabetes mellitus or the appropriateness of care for low back pain. Conclusions The Quality-Cost Framework describes the mechanisms by which health-related quality of care affects health care and health status–related costs. Additional work will need to validate the framework by applying it to multiple clinical conditions. Applicability could be assessed

Association Between Health Plan Exit From Medicaid Managed Care and Quality of Care, 2006-2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Ndumele, Chima D; Schpero, William L; Schlesinger, Mark J; Trivedi, Amal N

2017-06-27

State Medicaid programs have increasingly contracted with insurers to provide medical care services for enrollees (Medicaid managed care plans). Insurers that provide these plans can exit Medicaid programs each year, with unclear effects on quality of care and health care experiences. To determine the frequency and interstate variation of health plan exit from Medicaid managed care and evaluate the relationship between health plan exit and market-level quality. Retrospective cohort of all comprehensive Medicaid managed care plans (N = 390) during the interval 2006-2014. Plan exit, defined as the withdrawal of a managed care plan from a state's Medicaid program. Eight measures from the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set were used to construct 3 composite indicators of quality (preventive care, chronic disease care management, and maternity care). Four measures from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems were combined into a composite indicator of patient experience, reflecting the proportion of beneficiaries rating experiences as 8 or above on a 0-to-10-point scale. Outcome data were available for 248 plans (68% of plans operating prior to 2014, representing 78% of beneficiaries). Of the 366 comprehensive Medicaid managed care plans operating prior to 2014, 106 exited Medicaid. These exiting plans enrolled 4 848 310 Medicaid beneficiaries, with a mean of 606 039 beneficiaries affected by plan exits annually. Six states had a mean of greater than 10% of Medicaid managed care recipients enrolled in plans that exited, whereas 10 states experienced no plan exits. Plans that exited from a state's Medicaid market performed significantly worse prior to exiting than those that remained in terms of preventive care (57.5% vs 60.4%; difference, 2.9% [95% CI, 0.3% to 5.5%]), maternity care (69.7% vs 73.6%; difference, 3.8% [95% CI, 1.7% to 6.0%]), and patient experience (73.5% vs 74.8%; difference, 1.3% [95% CI, 0.6% to 1

Performance management excellence among the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Winners in Health Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, Neville T; Goodson, Jane R; Arnold, Edwin W

2013-01-01

When carefully constructed, performance management systems can help health care organizations direct their efforts toward strategic goals, high performance, and continuous improvement needed to ensure high-quality patient care and cost control. The effective management of performance is an integral component in hospital and health care systems that are recognized for excellence by the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in Health Care. Using the framework in the 2011-2012 Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence, this article identifies the best practices in performance management demonstrated by 15 Baldrige recipients. The results show that all of the recipients base their performance management systems on strategic goals, outcomes, or competencies that cascade from the organizational to the individual level. At the individual level, each hospital or health system reinforces the strategic direction with performance evaluations of leaders and employees, including the governing board, based on key outcomes and competencies. Leader evaluations consistently include feedback from internal and external stakeholders, creating a culture of information sharing and performance improvement. The hospitals or health care systems also align their reward systems to promote high performance by emphasizing merit and recognition for contributions. Best practices can provide a guide for leaders in other health systems in developing high-performance work systems.

Assessing the Implementation and Cost of High Quality Early Care and Education: A Review of the Literature. OPRE Report 2016-31

Science.gov (United States)

Caronongan, Pia; Kirby, Gretchen; Boller, Kimberly; Modlin, Emily; Lyskawa, Julia

2016-01-01

This report summarizes the findings of a literature review conducted as part of the Assessing the Implementation and Cost of High-Quality Early Care and Education (ECE-ICHQ) project. The project's goal is to create a technically sound and feasible instrument that will provide consistent, systematic measures of the implementation and costs of…

Knowledge sharing behavior and intensive care nurse innovation: the moderating role of control of care quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li-Ying, Jason; Paunova, Minna; Egerod, Ingrid

2016-01-01

Aims This study investigates the influence of intensive care unit nurses’ knowledge sharing behaviour on nurse innovation, given different conditions of care quality control. Background Health-care organisations face an increasing pressure to innovate while controlling care quality. We have littl...

Quality indicators for international benchmarking of mental health care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hermann, Richard C; Mattke, Soeren; Somekh, David

2006-01-01

To identify quality measures for international benchmarking of mental health care that assess important processes and outcomes of care, are scientifically sound, and are feasible to construct from preexisting data.......To identify quality measures for international benchmarking of mental health care that assess important processes and outcomes of care, are scientifically sound, and are feasible to construct from preexisting data....

A quality improvement management model for renal care.

Science.gov (United States)

Vlchek, D L; Day, L M

1991-04-01

The purpose of this article is to explore the potential for applying the theory and tools of quality improvement (total quality management) in the renal care setting. We believe that the coupling of the statistical techniques used in the Deming method of quality improvement, with modern approaches to outcome and process analysis, will provide the renal care community with powerful tools, not only for improved quality (i.e., reduced morbidity and mortality), but also for technology evaluation and resource allocation.

Job Crafting, Employee Well-being, and Quality of Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Yepes-Baldó, Montserrat; Romeo, Marina; Westerberg, Kristina; Nordin, Maria

2018-01-01

The main objective is to study the effects of job crafting activities of elder care and nursing home employees on their perceived well-being and quality of care in two European countries, Spain and Sweden. The Job Crafting, the General Health, and the Quality of Care questionnaires were administered to 530 employees. Correlations and hierarchical regression analyses were performed. Results confirm the effects of job crafting on quality of care ( r = .291, p employees' well-being ( r = .201, p well-being in Spain and Sweden and with quality of care in Spain. On the contrary, in Sweden, the relationship between job crafting and well-being was not linear. Job crafting contributes significantly to employees' and residents' well-being. Management should promote job crafting to co-create meaningful and productive work. Cultural effects are proposed to explain the differences found.

Caregivers in older peoples' care: perception of quality of care, working conditions, competence and personal health.

Science.gov (United States)

From, Ingrid; Nordström, Gun; Wilde-Larsson, Bodil; Johansson, Inger

2013-09-01

The aim was to describe and compare nursing assistants', enrolled nurses' and registered nurses' perceptions of quality of care, working conditions, competence and personal health in older peoples' care. Altogether 70 nursing assistants, 163 enrolled nurses and 198 registered nurses completed a questionnaire comprising Quality from the Patient's Perspective modified for caregivers, Creative Climate Questionnaire, Stress of Conscience Questionnaire, items on education and competence and Health Index. The caregivers reported higher perceived reality of quality of care in medical-technical competence and physical-technical conditions than in identity-oriented approach and socio-cultural atmosphere. In subjective importance, the highest rating was assessed in one of the physical-technical items. The organisational climate was for three of the dimensions rather close/reached the value for a creative climate, for seven dimensions close to a stagnant climate. In perceived stress of conscience, there were low values. Nursing assistants had lower values than enrolled nurses and registered nurses. The caregivers reported highest values regarding previous education making them feel safe at work and lowest value on the item about education increasing the ability for a scientific attitude. Registered nurses could use knowledge in practice and to a higher degree than nursing assistants/enrolled nurses reported a need to gain knowledge, but the latter more often received education during working hours. The health index among caregivers was high, but registered nurses scored lower on emotional well-being than nursing assistants/enrolled nurses. The caregivers' different perceptions of quality of care and work climate need further attention. Although stress of conscience was low, it is important to acknowledge what affected the caregivers work in a negative way. Attention should be paid to the greater need for competence development among registered nurses during working hours. �

A diabetes dashboard and physician efficiency and accuracy in accessing data needed for high-quality diabetes care.

Science.gov (United States)

Koopman, Richelle J; Kochendorfer, Karl M; Moore, Joi L; Mehr, David R; Wakefield, Douglas S; Yadamsuren, Borchuluun; Coberly, Jared S; Kruse, Robin L; Wakefield, Bonnie J; Belden, Jeffery L

2011-01-01

We compared use of a new diabetes dashboard screen with use of a conventional approach of viewing multiple electronic health record (EHR) screens to find data needed for ambulatory diabetes care. We performed a usability study, including a quantitative time study and qualitative analysis of information-seeking behaviors. While being recorded with Morae Recorder software and "think-aloud" interview methods, 10 primary care physicians first searched their EHR for 10 diabetes data elements using a conventional approach for a simulated patient, and then using a new diabetes dashboard for another. We measured time, number of mouse clicks, and accuracy. Two coders analyzed think-aloud and interview data using grounded theory methodology. The mean time needed to find all data elements was 5.5 minutes using the conventional approach vs 1.3 minutes using the diabetes dashboard (P dashboard (P dashboard (P dashboard improves both the efficiency and accuracy of acquiring data needed for high-quality diabetes care. Usability analysis tools can provide important insights into the value of optimizing physician use of health information technologies.

Quality-based financial incentives in health care: can we improve quality by paying for it?

Science.gov (United States)

Conrad, Douglas A; Perry, Lisa

2009-01-01

This article asks whether financial incentives can improve the quality of health care. A conceptual framework drawn from microeconomics, agency theory, behavioral economics, and cognitive psychology motivates a set of propositions about incentive effects on clinical quality. These propositions are evaluated through a synthesis of extant peer-reviewed empirical evidence. Comprehensive financial incentives--balancing rewards and penalties; blending structure, process, and outcome measures; emphasizing continuous, absolute performance standards; tailoring the size of incremental rewards to increasing marginal costs of quality improvement; and assuring certainty, frequency, and sustainability of incentive payoffs--offer the prospect of significantly enhancing quality beyond the modest impacts of prevailing pay-for-performance (P4P) programs. Such organizational innovations as the primary care medical home and accountable health care organizations are expected to catalyze more powerful quality incentive models: risk- and quality-adjusted capitation, episode of care payments, and enhanced fee-for-service payments for quality dimensions (e.g., prevention) most amenable to piece-rate delivery.

Using Electronic Health Record Data to Measure Care Quality for Individuals with Multiple Chronic Medical Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayliss, Elizabeth A; McQuillan, Deanna B; Ellis, Jennifer L; Maciejewski, Matthew L; Zeng, Chan; Barton, Mary B; Boyd, Cynthia M; Fortin, Martin; Ling, Shari M; Tai-Seale, Ming; Ralston, James D; Ritchie, Christine S; Zulman, Donna M

2016-09-01

To inform the development of a data-driven measure of quality care for individuals with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) derived from an electronic health record (EHR). Qualitative study using focus groups, interactive webinars, and a modified Delphi process. Research department within an integrated delivery system. The webinars and Delphi process included 17 experts in clinical geriatrics and primary care, health policy, quality assessment, health technology, and health system operations. The focus group included 10 individuals aged 70-87 with three to six chronic conditions selected from a random sample of individuals aged 65 and older with three or more chronic medical conditions. Through webinars and the focus group, input was solicited on constructs representing high-quality care for individuals with MCCs. A working list was created of potential measures representing these constructs. Using a modified Delphi process, experts rated the importance of each possible measure and the feasibility of implementing each measure using EHR data. High-priority constructs reflected processes rather than outcomes of care. High-priority constructs that were potentially feasible to measure included assessing physical function, depression screening, medication reconciliation, annual influenza vaccination, outreach after hospital admission, and documented advance directives. High-priority constructs that were less feasible to measure included goal setting and shared decision-making, identifying drug-drug interactions, assessing social support, timely communication with patients, and other aspects of good customer service. Lower-priority domains included pain assessment, continuity of care, and overuse of screening or laboratory testing. High-quality MCC care should be measured using meaningful process measures rather than outcomes. Although some care processes are currently extractable from electronic data, capturing others will require adapting and applying technology to

Clients’ perceptions of the quality of care in Mexico City’s public-sector legal abortion program

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Davida; Díaz-Olavarrieta, Claudia; Juárez, Clara; García, Sandra G.; Sanhueza, Patricio; Harper, Cynthia C.

2014-01-01

Context In 2007 the Mexico City legislature made the groundbreaking decision to legalize first trimester abortion. Limited research has been conducted to understand clients’ perceptions of the abortion services available in public sector facilities. Methods We measured clients’ perceptions of quality of care at three public sector sites in Mexico City in 2009 (n=402). We assessed six domains of quality of care (client-staff interaction, information provision, technical competence, post-abortion contraceptive services, accessibility, and the facility environment), and conducted ordinal logistic regression analysis to identify which domains were important to women for their overall evaluation of care. We measured the association of overall service evaluation with socio-demographic factors and abortion-visit characteristics, in addition to specific quality of care domains. Results Clients reported a high quality of care for abortion services with an overall mean rating of 8.8 out of 10. Multivariable analysis showed that important domains for high evaluation included client perception of doctor as technically skilled (pabortion and post-abortion emotions (pabortion care in Mexico City. Strategies to improve clients’ service experiences should focus on improving counseling, service accessibility and waiting time. PMID:22227626

Primary care quality management in Slovenia.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boerma, W.G.W.; Kringos, D.S.; Verschuuren, M.; Pellny, M.; Bulc, M.

2008-01-01

Of all GPs in Slovenia 86% are not interested in activities to systematically improve care. A clear national quality policy, further education for care managers and financial incentives for GPs could change the picture, as NIVEL research – done on the initiative of the World Health Organisation

Quality of trauma care and trauma registries.

Science.gov (United States)

Pino Sánchez, F I; Ballesteros Sanz, M A; Cordero Lorenzana, L; Guerrero López, F

2015-03-01

Traumatic disease is a major public health concern. Monitoring the quality of services provided is essential for the maintenance and improvement thereof. Assessing and monitoring the quality of care in trauma patient through quality indicators would allow identifying opportunities for improvement whose implementation would improve outcomes in hospital mortality, functional outcomes and quality of life of survivors. Many quality indicators have been used in this condition, although very few ones have a solid level of scientific evidence to recommend their routine use. The information contained in the trauma registries, spread around the world in recent decades, is essential to know the current health care reality, identify opportunities for improvement and contribute to the clinical and epidemiological research. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

Quality of health care and the need for assessment | Bosse | East ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... of health care workers, a strong determinant of care process quality, might be improved by strengthening internal factors in health facilities. For conclusive validation, further studies using the tool must be conducted with larger numbers of institutions. Keywords: Quality of health care, Quality assessment, Quality assurance, ...

38 CFR 52.120 - Quality of care.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... good nutrition, hydration, grooming, personal and oral hygiene, mobility, and bladder and bowel... FOR ADULT DAY HEALTH CARE OF VETERANS IN STATE HOMES Standards § 52.120 Quality of care. Each... Deputy Under Secretary for Health (10N), and Chief Consultant, Geriatrics and Extended Care Strategic...

Assessing Quality of Care and Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes via Google Reviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Mowery, Jared; Andrei, Amanda; Le, Elizabeth; Jian, Jing; Ward, Megan

2016-01-01

It is challenging to assess the quality of care and detect elder abuse in nursing homes, since patients may be incapable of reporting quality issues or abuse themselves, and resources for sending inspectors are limited. This study correlates Google reviews of nursing homes with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) inspection results in the Nursing Home Compare (NHC) data set, to quantify the extent to which the reviews reflect the quality of care and the presence of elder abuse. A total of 16,160 reviews were collected, spanning 7,170 nursing homes. Two approaches were tested: using the average rating as an overall estimate of the quality of care at a nursing home, and using the average scores from a maximum entropy classifier trained to recognize indications of elder abuse. The classifier achieved an F-measure of 0.81, with precision 0.74 and recall 0.89. The correlation for the classifier is weak but statistically significant: = 0.13, P nursing homes can be used to detect indications of elder abuse with high precision and to assess the quality of care, but only when a sufficient number of reviews are available.

Primary care practice and facility quality orientation: influence on breast and cervical cancer screening rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldzweig, Caroline Lubick; Parkerton, Patricia H; Washington, Donna L; Lanto, Andrew B; Yano, Elizabeth M

2004-04-01

Despite the importance of early cancer detection, variation in screening rates among physicians is high. Insights into factors influencing variation can guide efforts to decrease variation and increase screening rates. To explore the association of primary care practice features and a facility's quality orientation with breast and cervical cancer screening rates. Cross-sectional study of screening rates among 144 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and for a national sample of women. We linked practice structure and quality improvement characteristics of individual VA medical centers from 2 national surveys (1 to primary care directors and 1 to a stratified random sample of employees) to breast and cervical cancer screening rates determined from a review of random medical records. We conducted bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression of primary care practice and facility features on cancer screening rates, above and below the median. While the national screening rates were high for breast (87%) and cervical cancer (90%), higher screening rates were more likely when primary care providers were consistently notified of specialty visits and when staff perceived a greater organizational commitment to quality and anticipated rewards and recognition for better performance. Organization and quality orientation of the primary care practice and its facility can enhance breast and cervical cancer screening rates. Internal recognition of quality performance and an overall commitment to quality improvement may foster improved prevention performance, with impact varying by clinical service.

The European initiative for quality management in lung cancer care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blum, Torsten G; Rich, Anna; Baldwin, David

2014-01-01

. The Task Force undertook four projects: 1) a narrative literature search on quality management of lung cancer; 2) a survey of national and local infrastructure for lung cancer care in Europe; 3) a benchmarking project on the quality of (inter)national lung cancer guidelines in Europe; and 4) a feasibility...... study of prospective data collection in a pan-European setting. There is little peer-reviewed literature on quality management in lung cancer care. The survey revealed important differences in the infrastructure of lung cancer care in Europe. The European guidelines that were assessed displayed wide...... countries. The European Initiative for Quality Management in Lung Cancer Care has provided the first comprehensive snapshot of lung cancer care in Europe....

Measuring Quality of Care Under Medicare and Medicaid

OpenAIRE

Jencks, Stephen F.

1995-01-01

The Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) approach to measuring quality of care uses an accepted definition of quality, explicit domains of measurement, and a formal validation procedure that includes face validity, construct validity, reliability, clinical validation, and tests for usefulness. The indicators of quality for Medicare and Medicaid patients span the range of service types, medical conditions, and payment systems and rest on a variety of data systems. Some have already be...

Designing quality of care--contributions from parents: Parents' experiences of care processes in paediatric care and their contribution to improvements of the care process in collaboration with healthcare professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Gustavsson, Susanne; Gremyr, Ida; Kenne Sarenmalm, Elisabeth

2016-03-01

The aim of this article was to explore whether current quality dimensions for health care services are sufficient to capture how parents perceive and contribute to quality of health care. New quality improvement initiatives that actively involve patients must be examined with a critical view on established quality dimensions to ensure that these measures support patient involvement. This paper used a qualitative and descriptive design. This paper is based on interviews with parents participating in two experience-based co-design projects in a Swedish hospital that included qualitative content analysis of data from 12 parent interviews in paediatric care. Health care professionals often overemphasize their own significance for value creation in care processes and underappreciate parents' ability to influence and contribute to better quality. However, quality is not based solely on how professionals accomplish their task, but is co-created by health care professionals and parents. Consequently, assessment of quality outcomes also must include parents' ability and context. This paper questions current models of quality dimensions in health care, and suggests additional sub-dimensions, such as family quality and involvement quality. This paper underscores the importance of involving parents in health care improvements with health care professionals to capture as many dimensions of quality as possible. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The quasi-market for adult residential care in the UK: Do for-profit, not-for-profit or public sector residential care and nursing homes provide better quality care?

Science.gov (United States)

Barron, David N; West, Elizabeth

2017-04-01

There has been a radical transformation in the provision of adult residential and nursing home care in England over the past four decades. Up to the 1980s, over 80% of adult residential care was provided by the public sector, but today public sector facilities account for only 8% of the available places, with the rest being provided by a mixture of for-profit firms (74%) and non-profit charities (18%). The public sector's role is often now that of purchaser (paying the fees of people unable to afford them) and regulator. While the idea that private companies may play a bigger role in the future provision of health care is highly contentious in the UK, the transformation of the residential and nursing home care has attracted little comment. Concerns about the quality of care do emerge from time to time, often stimulated by high profile media investigations, scandals or criminal prosecutions, but there is little or no evidence about whether or not the transformation of the sector from largely public to private provision has had a beneficial effect on those who need the service. This study asks whether there are differences in the quality of care provided by public, non-profit or for-profit facilities in England. We use data on care quality for over 15,000 homes that are provided by the industry regulator in England: the Care Quality Commission (CQC). These data are the results of inspections carried out between April 2011 and October 2015. Controlling for a range of facility characteristics such as age and size, proportional odds logistic regression showed that for-profit facilities have lower CQC quality ratings than public and non-profit providers over a range of measures, including safety, effectiveness, respect, meeting needs and leadership. We discuss the implications of these results for the ongoing debates about the role of for-profit providers of health and social care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of quality of care in family planning services in Jimma ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Providing quality of care in family planning services is an important task for care providers so as to increase service utilization and coverage; however, little is known about the existing quality of care in such services. Objective: To assess quality of care in family planning services in Jimma Zone, southwest ...

Optimizing Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Malaysia: The Current Global Initiatives, Gaps and Suggested Solutions

OpenAIRE

Jarrar, Mu?taman; Rahman, Hamzah Abdul; Don, Mohammad Sobri

2015-01-01

Background and Objective: Demand for health care service has significantly increased, while the quality of healthcare and patient safety has become national and international priorities. This paper aims to identify the gaps and the current initiatives for optimizing the quality of care and patient safety in Malaysia. Design: Review of the current literature. Highly cited articles were used as the basis to retrieve and review the current initiatives for optimizing the quality of care and patie...

Research in action: using positive deviance to improve quality of health care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nembhard Ingrid M

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite decades of efforts to improve quality of health care, poor performance persists in many aspects of care. Less than 1% of the enormous national investment in medical research is focused on improving health care delivery. Furthermore, when effective innovations in clinical care are discovered, uptake of these innovations is often delayed and incomplete. In this paper, we build on the established principle of 'positive deviance' to propose an approach to identifying practices that improve health care quality. Methods We synthesize existing literature on positive deviance, describe major alternative approaches, propose benefits and limitations of a positive deviance approach for research directed toward improving quality of health care, and describe an application of this approach in improving hospital care for patients with acute myocardial infarction. Results The positive deviance approach, as adapted for use in health care, presumes that the knowledge about 'what works' is available in existing organizations that demonstrate consistently exceptional performance. Steps in this approach: identify 'positive deviants,' i.e., organizations that consistently demonstrate exceptionally high performance in the area of interest (e.g., proper medication use, timeliness of care; study the organizations in-depth using qualitative methods to generate hypotheses about practices that allow organizations to achieve top performance; test hypotheses statistically in larger, representative samples of organizations; and work in partnership with key stakeholders, including potential adopters, to disseminate the evidence about newly characterized best practices. The approach is particularly appropriate in situations where organizations can be ranked reliably based on valid performance measures, where there is substantial natural variation in performance within an industry, when openness about practices to achieve exceptional performance

Quality Assurance and Quality Control in Point-of-Care Testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Ashleigh W; Behling-Kelly, Erica

2016-03-01

With advancements in the standard of care in veterinary medicine and instrument technology, performing in-house laboratory work on a variety of point-of-care instruments, ranging from glucometers to benchtop chemistry analyzers, has become increasingly commonplace. However, the ability of an instrument to perform a test does not guarantee that those results are accurate. Ensuring that your in-clinic laboratory is providing reliable data requires a comprehensive plan that encompasses both common sense practices aimed at preventing errors at each stage of the testing process, as well as standard operating procedures to validate and monitor analyzer performance. These 2 arms of the plan are known as quality assurance and quality control. Although these concepts are typically out of the comfort zone for veterinarians, just as the thought of business management may deter some veterinarians from practice ownership, it is not beyond the capabilities of veterinarians to learn, understand, and incorporate them into their practice. The objectives of this article are to convey the importance of quality assurance and quality control, walk you through the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology guidelines on this topic, and provide direction to additional resources for further education on this topic, all with the focus on point-of-care testing in the in-clinic laboratory. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Marketing quality and value to the managed care market.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazmirski, G

1998-11-01

Quantifying quality and marketing care delivery have been long-term challenges in the health care market. Insurers, employers, other purchasers of care, and providers face a constant challenge in positioning their organizations in a proactive, competitive niche. Tools that measure patient's self-reported perception of health care needs and expectations have increased the ability to quantify quality of care delivery. When integrated with case management and disease management strategies, outcomes reporting and variance analysis tracking can be packaged to position a provider in a competitive niche.

Patient's experiences with quality of hospital care: the Dutch Consumer Quality Index Cataract Questionnaire.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stubbe, J.H.; Brouwer, W.; Delnoij, D.M.J.

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: Patients' feedback is of great importance in health care policy decisions. The Consumer Quality Index Cataract Questionnaire (CQI Cataract) was used to measure patients' experiences with quality of care after a cataract operation. This study aims to evaluate the reliability and the

Provider category and quality of care in the Norwegian nursing home industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Astri Drange Hole

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This paper examines empirically if there is a link between quality of care in the Norwegian nursing home industry and exposure of the industry to competition. Exposing public care to competition implies that the responsibility for providing care services is shared between public authorities and private actors. In Norway, exposure to competition means tender competition. Suppliers bid for a contract issued by the Norwegian authorities for a limited number of years. Quality of care in an institution is the major competitive factor. The provider categories of elderly care are: 1 care provided by institutions run by municipalities, 2 care provided by institutions run by private companies, which have won a tender competition, 3 care provided by institutions run by private companies owned by private families, voluntary religious or idealistic organizations. Nurse-to-patient ratio is used as a proxy for quality of care. The regression analysis indicates a relationship between quality of care and exposure to competition. The quality of care in provider category 2 is significantly lower than in provider category 1, but there are more variations in the quality of care in provider category 1 than in provider category 2. We find the lowest quality of care in provider category 1. There is also a relationship between the quality of care in an institution and the educational level of the staff, the location, the workforce, and the size of an institution. Finally, there is a relationship between the quality of care in an institution and the real and the required capacity, and the financial status in a region.

cura, care, C A R E, Care: Dimensions and Qualities of Care (re)forming an Ecology of Care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coxon, Ian Robert; Bremner, Craig; Jensen, Jesper

This working paper, as we will call it, presents two (pro)positions that should be seen as works in progress. Their job is to enable the beginnings of a conversation directed at advancing another work in progress, the Ecology of Care project. The essential goal of this paper and the symposium...... on this later. The second proposition offers a set of essential qualities that Care possesses which might help us to better understand the concept so that we might apply them in more practical ways. These qualities take on increased importance when we consider that Care is essentially what it means to be human...

Optimizing Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Malaysia: The Current Global Initiatives, Gaps and Suggested Solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarrar, Mu'taman; Abdul Rahman, Hamzah; Don, Mohammad Sobri

2015-10-20

Demand for health care service has significantly increased, while the quality of healthcare and patient safety has become national and international priorities. This paper aims to identify the gaps and the current initiatives for optimizing the quality of care and patient safety in Malaysia. Review of the current literature. Highly cited articles were used as the basis to retrieve and review the current initiatives for optimizing the quality of care and patient safety. The country health plan of Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia and the MOH Malaysia Annual Reports were reviewed. The MOH has set four strategies for optimizing quality and sustaining quality of life. The 10th Malaysia Health Plan promotes the theme "1 Care for 1 Malaysia" in order to sustain the quality of care. Despite of these efforts, the total number of complaints received by the medico-legal section of the MOH Malaysia is increasing. The current global initiatives indicted that quality performance generally belong to three main categories: patient; staffing; and working environment related factors. There is no single intervention for optimizing quality of care to maintain patient safety. Multidimensional efforts and interventions are recommended in order to optimize the quality of care and patient safety in Malaysia.

Optimizing Quality of Care and Patient Safety in Malaysia: The Current Global Initiatives, Gaps and Suggested Solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Jarrar, Mu’taman; Rahman, Hamzah Abdul; Don, Mohammad Sobri

2016-01-01

Background and Objective: Demand for health care service has significantly increased, while the quality of healthcare and patient safety has become national and international priorities. This paper aims to identify the gaps and the current initiatives for optimizing the quality of care and patient safety in Malaysia. Design: Review of the current literature. Highly cited articles were used as the basis to retrieve and review the current initiatives for optimizing the quality of care and patient safety. The country health plan of Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia and the MOH Malaysia Annual Reports were reviewed. Results: The MOH has set four strategies for optimizing quality and sustaining quality of life. The 10th Malaysia Health Plan promotes the theme “1 Care for 1 Malaysia” in order to sustain the quality of care. Despite of these efforts, the total number of complaints received by the medico-legal section of the MOH Malaysia is increasing. The current global initiatives indicted that quality performance generally belong to three main categories: patient; staffing; and working environment related factors. Conclusions: There is no single intervention for optimizing quality of care to maintain patient safety. Multidimensional efforts and interventions are recommended in order to optimize the quality of care and patient safety in Malaysia. PMID:26755459

[Quality management (TQM) in public health-care (PHC): principles for cost-performance calculations and cost reductions with better quality].

Science.gov (United States)

Bergholz, W

2008-11-01

In many high-tech industries, quality management (QM) has enabled improvements of quality by a factor of 100 or more, in combination with significant cost reductions. Compared to this, the application of QM methods in health care is in its initial stages. It is anticipated that stringent process management, embedded in an effective QM system will lead to significant improvements in health care in general and in the German public health service in particular. Process management is an ideal platform for controlling in the health care sector, and it will significantly improve the leverage of controlling to bring down costs. Best practice sharing in industry has led to quantum leap improvements. Process management will enable best practice sharing also in the public health service, in spite of the highly diverse portfolio of services that the public health service offers in different German regions. Finally, it is emphasised that "technical" QM, e.g., on the basis of the ISO 9001 standard is not sufficient to reach excellence. It is necessary to integrate soft factors, such as patient or employee satisfaction, and leadership quality into the system. The EFQM model for excellence can serve as proven tool to reach this goal.

Nurse burnout in China: a questionnaire survey on staffing, job satisfaction, and quality of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Minmin; Ruan, Hui; Xing, Weijie; Hu, Yan

2015-05-01

The investigators examined how nurse staffing affects nurse job satisfaction and quality of care. Inadequate nurse staffing is a worldwide issue with profound effects on nurse job satisfaction and quality of care. Few studies have examined the relationship between nurse staffing and job satisfaction and quality of care in China. A cross-sectional design was adopted, wherein 873 nurses were surveyed on demographics, nurse staffing, job-related burnout, job dissatisfaction, intent to leave, and quality of care. The median patient-nurse ratio was five; 45.1% nurses reported high levels of job-related burnout, and 55.6%, job dissatisfaction. In adjusted regression models, patient-nurse ratios of four or less were related to a decrease in the odds of job dissatisfaction (odds ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.36-0.85) and increase in the odds of quality of care (odds ratio 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.02-2.82). Nurse staffing is associated with job dissatisfaction and quality of care. Nurse managers should maintain an adequate level of nurse staffing, referring to the patient-nurse ratio. They should create new initiatives to increase job satisfaction among nurses and to evaluate their effects. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of home care service on the quality of life in patients with gynecological cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Aktas, Demet; Terzioglu, Fusun

2015-01-01

The purpose of the research was to determine the effect of home care service on the quality of life in patients with gynecological cancer. This randomized case control study was carried out in a womans hospital between September 2011 and February 2012. Women undergoing gynecological cancer treatment were separated into intervention and control groups, of 35 patients each. The intervention group was provided with nursing care service through hospital and home visits (1st, 12th weeks) within the framework of a specifically developed nursing care plan. The control group was monitored without any intervention through the hospital routine protocols (1st, 12th weeks). Data were collected using An Interview Form, Home Visit Monitoring Form and Quality of Life Scale/Cancer Survivors. Effects of home care service on the quality of life in gynecological cancer patients were investigated using chi-square tests, McNemar's test, independent t-test and ANOVA. This study found that the intervention group receiving home care service had a moderately high quality of life (average mean: 6.01±0.64), while the control group had comparatively lower quality (average mean: 4.35±0.79) within the 12 week post- discharge period (phome care services to be efficient in improving the quality of life in patients with gynecological cancer.

Context in Quality of Care: Improving Teamwork and Resilience.

Science.gov (United States)

Tawfik, Daniel S; Sexton, John Bryan; Adair, Kathryn C; Kaplan, Heather C; Profit, Jochen

2017-09-01

Quality improvement in health care is an ongoing challenge. Consideration of the context of the health care system is of paramount importance. Staff resilience and teamwork climate are key aspects of context that drive quality. Teamwork climate is dynamic, with well-established tools available to improve teamwork for specific tasks or global applications. Similarly, burnout and resilience can be modified with interventions such as cultivating gratitude, positivity, and awe. A growing body of literature has shown that teamwork and burnout relate to quality of care, with improved teamwork and decreased burnout expected to produce improved patient quality and safety. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Increased Competition on Quality of Primary Care in Sweden

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dietrichson, Jens; Ellegård, Lina Maria; Kjellsson, Gustav

quality is scarce, in particular regarding primary care. This paper adds evidence from recent reforms of Swedish primary care that affected competition in municipal markets differently depending on the pre- reform market structure. Using a difference-in-differences strategy, we demonstrate...... that the reforms led to substantially more entry of private care providers in municipalities where there were many patients per provider before the reforms. The effects on primary care quality in these municipalities are modest: we find small improvements in subjective measures of overall care quality......, but no significant effects on the rate of avoidable hospitalizations or patients’ satisfaction with access to care. We find no indications of quality reductions....

Quality of diabetes care in Dutch care groups: no differences between diabetes patients with and without co-morbidity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simone R de Bruin

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the relationship between presence and nature of co-morbidity and quality of care for diabetes patients enrolled in diabetes disease management programmes provided by care groups.Methods: We performed an observational study within eight Dutch diabetes care groups. Data from patient record systems of care groups and patient questionnaires were used to determine quality of care. Quality of care was measured as provision of the recommended diabetes care, patients’ achievement of recommended clinical outcomes and patients’ perception of coordination and integration of care.Results: 527 diabetes patients without and 1187 diabetes patients with co-morbidity were included. Of the co-morbid patients, 7.8% had concordant co-morbid conditions only, 63.8% had discordant co-morbid diseases only and 28.4% had both types of conditions. Hardly any differences were observed between patients with and without co-morbidity in terms of provided care, achievement of clinical outcomes and perceived coordination and integration of care.Conclusions: Our study implies that care groups are able to provide similar quality of diabetes care for diabetes patients with and without co-morbidity. Considering the expected developments regarding additional disease management programmes in care groups, it is of importance to monitor quality of care, including patient experiences, for all chronic diseases. It will then become clear whether accountable provider-led organisations such as care groups are able to ensure quality of care for the increasing number of patients with multiple chronic conditions.

Benefits of High-Intensity Intensive Care Unit Physician Staffing under the Affordable Care Act

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sachin Logani

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Obama, with its value-based purchasing program, is designed to link payment to quality processes and outcomes. Treatment of critically ill patients represents nearly 1% of the gross domestic product and 25% of a typical hospital budget. Data suggest that high-intensity staffing patterns in the intensive care unit (ICU are associated with cost savings and improved outcomes. We evaluate the literature investigating the cost-effectiveness and clinical outcomes of high-intensity ICU physician staffing as recommended by The Leapfrog Group (a consortium of companies that purchase health care for their employees and identify ways to overcome barriers to nationwide implementation of these standards. Hospitals that have implemented the Leapfrog initiative have demonstrated reductions in mortality and length of stay and increased cost savings. High-intensity staffing models appear to be an immediate cost-effective way for hospitals to meet the challenges of health care reform.

Quality in the provision of headache care. 2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peters, Michele; Jenkinson, Crispin; Perera, Suraj

2012-01-01

the findings we proposed a large number of putative quality indicators, and refined these and reduced their number in consultations with larger international groups of stakeholder representatives. We formulated a definition of quality from the quality indicators. Five main themes were identified: (1) headache...... services; (2) health professionals; (3) patients; (4) financial resources; (5) political agenda and legislation. An initial list of 160 putative quality indicators in 14 domains was reduced to 30 indicators in 9 domains. These gave rise to the following multidimensional definition of quality of headache......The objective of this study was to define "quality" of headache care, and develop indicators that are applicable in different settings and cultures and to all types of headache. No definition of quality of headache care has been formulated. Two sets of quality indicators, proposed in the US and UK...

Quality indicators for hip fracture care, a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Voeten, S C; Krijnen, P; Voeten, D M; Hegeman, J H; Wouters, M W J M; Schipper, I B

2018-05-17

Quality indicators are used to measure quality of care and enable benchmarking. An overview of all existing hip fracture quality indicators is lacking. The primary aim was to identify quality indicators for hip fracture care reported in literature, hip fracture audits, and guidelines. The secondary aim was to compose a set of methodologically sound quality indicators for the evaluation of hip fracture care in clinical practice. A literature search according to the PRISMA guidelines and an internet search were performed to identify hip fracture quality indicators. The indicators were subdivided into process, structure, and outcome indicators. The methodological quality of the indicators was judged using the Appraisal of Indicators through Research and Evaluation (AIRE) instrument. For structure and process indicators, the construct validity was assessed. Sixteen publications, nine audits and five guidelines were included. In total, 97 unique quality indicators were found: 9 structure, 63 process, and 25 outcome indicators. Since detailed methodological information about the indicators was lacking, the AIRE instrument could not be applied. Seven indicators correlated with an outcome measure. A set of nine quality indicators was extracted from the literature, audits, and guidelines. Many quality indicators are described and used. Not all of them correlate with outcomes of care and have been assessed methodologically. As methodological evidence is lacking, we recommend the extracted set of nine indicators to be used as the starting point for further clinical research. Future research should focus on assessing the clinimetric properties of the existing quality indicators.

Strategies to Improve the Quality of Health Care - Learning from ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Improving access to primary health care and the quality of services in Latin American countries is urgently needed to address high health inequities in the region. ... International Water Resources Association, in close collaboration with IDRC, is holding a webinar titled “Climate change and adaptive water management: ...

Patients' perceptions of palliative care: adaptation of the Quality from the Patient's Perspective instrument for use in palliative care, and description of patients' perceptions of care received.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandsdalen, Tuva; Rystedt, Ingrid; Grøndahl, Vigdis Abrahamsen; Hov, Reidun; Høye, Sevald; Wilde-Larsson, Bodil

2015-11-02

Instruments specific to palliative care tend to measure care quality from relative perspectives or have insufficient theoretical foundation. The instrument Quality from the Patient's Perspective (QPP) is based on a model for care quality derived from patients' perceptions of care, although it has not been psychometrically evaluated for use in palliative care. The aim of this study was to adapt the QPP for use in palliative care contexts, and to describe patients' perceptions of the care quality in terms of the subjective importance of the care aspects and the perceptions of the care received. A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2013 and December 2014 which included 191 patients (73% response rate) in late palliative phase at hospice inpatient units, hospice day-care units, wards in nursing homes that specialized in palliative care and homecare districts, all in Norway. An explorative factor analysis using principal component analysis, including data from 184 patients, was performed for psychometric evaluation. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha and paired t-tests were used to describe patients' perceptions of their care. The QPP instrument was adapted for palliative care in four steps: (1) selecting items from the QPP, (2) modifying items and (3) constructing new items to the palliative care setting, and (4) a pilot evaluation. QPP instrument specific to palliative care (QPP-PC) consists of 51 items and 12 factors with an eigenvalue ≥1.0, and showed a stable factor solution that explained 68.25% of the total variance. The reliability coefficients were acceptable for most factors (0.79-0.96). Patients scored most aspects of care related to both subjective importance and actual care received as high. Areas for improvement were symptom relief, participation, continuity, and planning and cooperation. The QPP-PC is based on a theoretical model of quality of care, and has its roots in patients' perspectives. The instrument was

Health care quality measures for children and adolescents in Foster Care: feasibility testing in electronic records.

Science.gov (United States)

Deans, Katherine J; Minneci, Peter C; Nacion, Kristine M; Leonhart, Karen; Cooper, Jennifer N; Scholle, Sarah Hudson; Kelleher, Kelly J

2018-02-22

Preventive quality measures for the foster care population are largely untested. The objective of the study is to identify healthcare quality measures for young children and adolescents in foster care and to test whether the data required to calculate these measures can be feasibly extracted and interpreted within an electronic health records or within the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System. The AAP Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care served as the guideline for determining quality measures. Quality measures related to well child visits, developmental screenings, immunizations, trauma-related care, BMI measurements, sexually transmitted infections and depression were defined. Retrospective chart reviews were performed on a cohort of children in foster care from a single large pediatric institution and related county. Data available in the Ohio Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System was compared to the same population studied in the electronic health record review. Quality measures were calculated as observed (received) to expected (recommended) ratios (O/E ratios) to describe the actual quantity of recommended health care that was received by individual children. Electronic health records and the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System data frequently lacked important information on foster care youth essential for calculating the measures. Although electronic health records were rich in encounter specific clinical data, they often lacked custodial information such as the dates of entry into and exit from foster care. In contrast, Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System included robust data on custodial arrangements, but lacked detailed medical information. Despite these limitations, several quality measures were devised that attempted to accommodate these limitations. In this feasibility testing, neither the electronic health records at a single institution nor the county level Statewide

Reaching common ground: a patient-family-based conceptual framework of quality EOL care.

Science.gov (United States)

Howell, Doris; Brazil, Kevin

2005-01-01

Improvement in the quality of end-of-life (EOL) care is a priority health care issue since serious deficiencies in quality of care have been reported across care settings. Increasing pressure is now focused on Canadian health care organizations to be accountable for the quality of palliative and EOL care delivered. Numerous domains of quality EOL care upon which to create accountability frameworks are now published, with some derived from the patient/family perspective. There is a need to reach common ground on the domains of quality EOL care valued by patients and families in order to develop consistent performance measures and set priorities for health care improvement. This paper describes a meta-synthesis study to develop a common conceptual framework of quality EOL care integrating attributes of quality valued by patients and their families.

Perceived quality of chronic illness care is associated with self-management: Results of a nationwide study in the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

van Houtum, L; Heijmans, M; Rijken, M; Groenewegen, P

2016-04-01

Healthcare providers are increasingly expected to help chronically ill patients understand their own central role in managing their illness. The aim of this study was to determine whether experiencing high-quality chronic illness care and having a nurse involved in their care relate to chronically ill people's self-management. Survey data from 699 people diagnosed with chronic diseases who participated in a nationwide Dutch panel-study were analysed using linear regression analysis, to estimate the association between chronic illness care and various aspects of patients' self-management, while controlling for their socio-demographic and illness characteristics. Chronically ill patients reported that the care they received was of high quality to some extent. Patients who had contact with a practise nurse or specialised nurse perceived the quality of the care they received as better than patients who only had contact with a GP or medical specialist. Patients' perceptions of the quality of care were positively related to all aspects of their self-management, whereas contact with a practise nurse or specialised nurse in itself was not. Chronically ill patients who have the experience to receive high-quality chronic illness care that focusses on patient activation, decision support, goal setting, problem solving, and coordination of care are better self-managers. Having a nurse involved in their care seems to be positively valued by chronically ill patients, but does not automatically imply better self-management. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

[Perception of professionals' quality of life in the Asturias a Health Care Area, Spain].

Science.gov (United States)

Alonso Fernández, M; Iglesias Carbajo, A I; Franco Vidal, A

2002-11-15

To report on the perceived quality of life of professionals in the health services sector. Descriptive, cross-sectional study. Directorate of Primary Care of Health Care Area VIII in Asturias, Spain. Two hundred thirty-seven professionals in the health care sector and other sectors. Internal mail was used to send all employees the CV-35 self-administered questionnaire, which measures perceived professional quality of life, understood as the balance between work demands and the capacity to cope with them. The instrument consists of 35 items that evaluate three dimensions: perception of demands, emotional support received from superiors, and intrinsic motivation. Each item was scored on a quantitative scale of 1 to 10. One hundred thirty-five completed questionnaires were received (59.5%). Mean professional quality of life was 5.35 (5.12-5.58); there were no significant differences between age groups, sexes or employment status. Mean score for perceived demands at the workplace was 6.03 (5.89-6.17), and mean score for emotional support received from superiors was 4.78 (4.63-4.97). This support was valued most highly by employees who held a position of responsibility. Mean score for intrinsic motivation was 7.45 (7.34-7.56). Employees in Health Care Area VIII in Asturias perceived their professional quality of life to be moderately good, perceived a moderate degree of support received, and had a high level of intrinsic motivation to cope with high demands at the workplace.

Accountability for the Quality of Care Provided to People with Serious Illness

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson Scholle, Sarah; Briefer French, Jessica

2018-01-01

Abstract Background: Care for patients with serious illness is an emerging practice area that has gained attention as value-based purchasing has increased. While the number of programs is growing, their impact on care quality and outcomes is unknown. Objective: With support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is assessing the feasibility of creating an accountability program focused on serious illness care. Methods: This article describes the process of developing an accountability program, findings from our initial work, and our plans to develop measures for a serious illness care accountability program. We focused on three questions: 1. What patient populations should be targeted for measurement?2. What entities have accountability for ensuring high-quality care for serious illness?3. What structures, processes, and outcomes should be evaluated in an accountability program for serious illness care? Results: Our environmental scan showed that the evidence base for specific patient populations or care models is not sufficiently mature to justify traditional structure and process measures. In visits to serious illness care programs, we observed different staffing models, care models, care settings, and payment structures. We found a gap between recommended inclusion criteria and services when compared to inclusion criteria and services offered by existing programs. Conclusions: To address the challenges, NCQA intends to develop outcome measures driven by patient and family priorities. Structure and process measures will focus on building organizations' capacity to measure outcomes, including patient engagement and outcomes, linked to patient goals. PMID:29313755

Development of quality measures for monitoring and improving care in gastroenterology.

Science.gov (United States)

Germansky, Katharine A; Leffler, Daniel A

2011-06-01

Over the past decade, most quality assurance (QA) efforts in gastroenterology have been aimed at endoscopy. Endoscopic quality improvement was the rational area to begin QA work in gastroenterology due to the relatively acute nature of complications and the high volume of procedures performed. While endoscopy is currently the focus of most quality assurance (QA) measures in gastroenterology, more recent efforts have begun to address clinical gastroenterology practices both in the outpatient and inpatient settings. Clinical outpatient and inpatient gastroenterology is laden with areas where standardization could benefit patient care. While data and experience in clinical gastroenterology QA is relatively limited, it is clear that inconsistent use of guidelines and practice variations in gastroenterology can lead to lower quality care. In this review, we review a variety of areas in clinical gastroenterology where existing guidelines and published data suggest both the need and practicality of active QA measures. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using adapted quality-improvement approaches to strengthen community-based health systems and improve care in high HIV-burden sub-Saharan African countries.

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Horwood, Christiane M; Youngleson, Michele S; Moses, Edward; Stern, Amy F; Barker, Pierre M

2015-07-01

Achieving long-term retention in HIV care is an important challenge for HIV management and achieving elimination of mother-to-child transmission. Sustainable, affordable strategies are required to achieve this, including strengthening of community-based interventions. Deployment of community-based health workers (CHWs) can improve health outcomes but there is a need to identify systems to support and maintain high-quality performance. Quality-improvement strategies have been successfully implemented to improve quality and coverage of healthcare in facilities and could provide a framework to support community-based interventions. Four community-based quality-improvement projects from South Africa, Malawi and Mozambique are described. Community-based improvement teams linked to the facility-based health system participated in learning networks (modified Breakthrough Series), and used quality-improvement methods to improve process performance. Teams were guided by trained quality mentors who used local data to help nurses and CHWs identify gaps in service provision and test solutions. Learning network participants gathered at intervals to share progress and identify successful strategies for improvement. CHWs demonstrated understanding of quality-improvement concepts, tools and methods, and implemented quality-improvement projects successfully. Challenges of using quality-improvement approaches in community settings included adapting processes, particularly data reporting, to the education level and first language of community members. Quality-improvement techniques can be implemented by CHWs to improve outcomes in community settings but these approaches require adaptation and additional mentoring support to be successful. More research is required to establish the effectiveness of this approach on processes and outcomes of care.

Improving the rate and quality of medicaid well child care exams in primary care practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Katy Duncan; Merchen, Eileen; Turner, Crystal D; Vaught, Cara; Fritz, Terrie; Mold, Jim

2010-07-01

Providing recommended well child care to children insured bythe Medicaid Program can be challenging. Members of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine (DFPM) at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center contracted to help practices improve the rates and quality of well child care visits within the Oklahoma Medicaid Program. Sixteen pediatric and family medicine practices in three Oklahoma counties chose to participate in this quality improvement initiative. The records of Sooner Care-insured children age 0-20 were reviewed for both rate and quality of well child care visits made during the previous twelve months. Performance feedback was provided. Practice guidelines, Sooner Care requirements, and tips from exemplary practices were provided. In two of the counties, a case manager helped practices with challenging patients. Practice Enhancement Assistants (PEAs) then helped practices implement a variety of strategies to increase visit rates and improve the quality of early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment (EPSDT) visits. Information technology (IT) support was provided when needed. The average rates of visits, for all counties combined, increased. Visit rates increased more in the younger age groups (birth to two years). There was significant improvement in quality of visits. Rates and quality improved much more in some practices than in others. A combination of academic detailing, performance feedback, practice facilitation, case management, and IT support produced increases in the quality and rates of EPSDT exams.

Diabetes quality management in Dutch care groups and outpatient clinics: a cross-sectional study.

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Campmans-Kuijpers, Marjo J E; Baan, Caroline A; Lemmens, Lidwien C; Rutten, Guy E H M

2014-08-07

In recent years, most Dutch general practitioners started working under the umbrella of diabetes care groups, responsible for the organisation and coordination of diabetes care. The quality management of these new organisations receives growing interest, although its association with quality of diabetes care is yet unclear. The best way to measure quality management is unknown and it has not yet been studied at the level of outpatient clinics or care groups. We aimed to assess quality management of type 2 diabetes care in care groups and outpatient clinics. Quality management was measured with online questionnaires, containing six domains (see below). They were divided into 28 subdomains, with 59 (care groups) and 57 (outpatient clinics) questions respectively. The mean score of the domains reflects the overall score (0-100%) of an organisation. Two quality managers of all Dutch care groups and outpatient clinics were invited to fill out the questionnaire.Sixty care groups (response rate 61.9%) showed a mean score of 59.6% (CI 57.1-62.1%). The average score in 52 outpatient clinics (response rate 50.0%) was 61.9% (CI 57.5-66.8%).Mean scores on the six domains for care groups and outpatient clinics respectively were: 'organisation of care' 71.9% (CI 68.8-74.9%), 76.8% (CI 72.8-80.7%); 'multidisciplinary teamwork' 67.1% (CI 62.4-71.9%), 71.5% (CI 65.3-77.8%); 'patient centeredness' 46.7% (CI 42.6-50.7%), 62.5% (CI 57.7-67.2%); 'performance management' 63.3% (CI 61.2-65.3%), 50.9% (CI 44.2-57.5%); 'quality improvement policy' 52.6% (CI 49.2-56.1%), 50.9% (CI 44.6-57.3%); and 'management strategies' 56.0% (CI 51.4-60.7%), 59.0% (CI 52.8-65.2%). On subdomains, care groups scored highest on 'care program' (83.3%) and 'measured outcomes' (98.3%) and lowest on 'patient safety' (15.1%) and 'patient involvement' (17.7%). Outpatient clinics scored high on the presence of a 'diabetic foot team' (81.6%) and the support in 'self-management' (81.0%) and low on 'patient

[General practice has to contribute to the continuous improvement of quality of care and integrate health promotion].

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Vanmeerbeek, Marc

2009-09-01

Quality of care in general practice is mainly based on effectiveness of clinical and inter-personal care, and access to care. Assessment has to focus on structures and processes, more than on outcomes. The sets of clinical indicators used in some european countries, though good starting points are still incomplete to encompass the complexity of activity. Assessment of care quality by the public authorities must be acceptable to the doctors who are the object of this assessment; otherwise its conclusions will be rejected. Continuous quality improvement can maintain quality of care at a high level and maintain costs under control. Health has to be managed, and doctors have a collective responsibility towards their patients. The procedures of the quality cycle are applicable in general practice for the development of community-based projects of health promotion, within the network of care. The discipline can find in it a new lease of life and perhaps curb the loss of interest among young doctors.

Developing Flanagan's critical incident technique to elicit indicators of high and low quality nursing care from patients and their nurses.

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Norman, I J; Redfern, S J; Tomalin, D A; Oliver, S

1992-05-01

This paper discusses a development of Flanagan's critical incident technique (CIT) to elicit indicators of high and low quality nursing from patients and their nurses on medical, surgical and elderly care wards. Stages in undertaking the CIT are identified and presuppositions held by most researchers about the nature of the technique are identified. The paper describes how the authors moved to a different set of presuppositions during the course of the study. Preliminary analysis of interview transcripts revealed that critical incidents need not always be demarcated scenes with a clear beginning and end, but may arise from respondents summarizing their overall experience within their description of one incident. Characteristically respondents were unable to give a detailed account of such incidents but validity may be established by the fact that respondents appear to recount what actually happened as they saw it, and what they said was clearly important to them. The researchers found that the most appropriate basic unit of analysis was not the incident itself but 'happenings' revealed by incidents that are 'critical' by virtue of being important to respondents with respect to the quality of nursing care. The importance of CIT researchers achieving an understanding of the 'meaning' of critical happenings to respondents is emphasized. Analysis of the interview transcripts is facilitated by the use of INGRES, a relational database computer program which should enable a 'personal theory' of quality nursing for each respondent, both patients and nurses, to be described. The study suggests that the CIT is a flexible technique which may be adapted to meet the demands of nursing research. If carefully applied, the CIT seems capable of capitalizing on respondents' own stories and avoids the loss of information which occurs when complex narratives are reduced to simple descriptive categories. Patients and nurses have unique perspectives on nursing and their views are of

Quality of care in integrated community case management services in Bugoye, Uganda: a retrospective observational study.

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Miller, James S; English, Lacey; Matte, Michael; Mbusa, Rapheal; Ntaro, Moses; Bwambale, Shem; Kenney, Jessica; Siedner, Mark J; Reyes, Raquel; Lee, Patrick T; Mulogo, Edgar; Stone, Geren S

2018-02-27

Village health workers (VHWs) in five villages in Bugoye subcounty (Kasese District, Uganda) provide integrated community case management (iCCM) services, in which VHWs evaluate and treat malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea in children under 5 years of age. VHWs use a "Sick Child Job Aid" that guides them through the evaluation and treatment of these illnesses. A retrospective observational study was conducted to measure the quality of iCCM care provided by 23 VHWs in 5 villages in Bugoye subcounty over a 2-year period. Patient characteristics and clinical services were summarized using existing aggregate programme data. Lot quality assurance sampling of individual patient records was used to estimate adherence to the iCCM algorithm, VHW-level quality (based on adherence to the iCCM protocol), and change over time in quality of care (using generalized estimating equations regression modelling). For each of 23 VHWs, 25 patient visits were randomly selected from a 2-year period after iCCM care initiation. In these visits, 97% (150) of patients with diarrhoea were treated with oral rehydration and zinc, 95% (216) of patients with pneumonia were treated with amoxicillin, and 94% (240) of patients with malaria were treated with artemisinin-based combination therapy or rectal artesunate. However, only 44% (44) of patients with a negative rapid test for malaria were appropriately referred to a health facility. Overall, 75% (434) of patients received all the correct evaluation and management steps. Only 9 (39%) of the 23 VHWs met the pre-determined LQAS threshold for high-quality care over the 2-year observation period. Quality of care increased significantly in the first 6 months after initiation of iCCM services (p = 0.003), and then plateaued during months 7-24. Quality of care was high for uncomplicated malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea. Overall quality of care was lower, in part because VHWs often did not follow the guidelines to refer patients with fever who tested

Benchmarking and audit of breast units improves quality of care.

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van Dam, P A; Verkinderen, L; Hauspy, J; Vermeulen, P; Dirix, L; Huizing, M; Altintas, S; Papadimitriou, K; Peeters, M; Tjalma, W

2013-01-01

Quality Indicators (QIs) are measures of health care quality that make use of readily available hospital inpatient administrative data. Assessment quality of care can be performed on different levels: national, regional, on a hospital basis or on an individual basis. It can be a mandatory or voluntary system. In all cases development of an adequate database for data extraction, and feedback of the findings is of paramount importance. In the present paper we performed a Medline search on "QIs and breast cancer" and "benchmarking and breast cancer care", and we have added some data from personal experience. The current data clearly show that the use of QIs for breast cancer care, regular internal and external audit of performance of breast units, and benchmarking are effective to improve quality of care. Adherence to guidelines improves markedly (particularly regarding adjuvant treatment) and there are data emerging showing that this results in a better outcome. As quality assurance benefits patients, it will be a challenge for the medical and hospital community to develop affordable quality control systems, which are not leading to excessive workload.

Physicians' Psychosocial Work Conditions and Quality of Care: A Literature Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Angerer

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Physician jobs are associated with adverse psychosocial work conditions. We summarize research on the relationship of physicians' psychosocial work conditions and quality of care. Method: A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE and PsycINFO. All studies were classified into three categories of care quality outcomes: Associations between physicians' psychosocial work conditions and (1 the physician-patient-relationship, or (2 the care process and outcomes, or (3 medical errors were examined. Results: 12 publications met the inclusion criteria. Most studies relied on observational cross-sectional and controlled intervention designs. All studies provide at least partial support for physicians’ psychosocial work conditions being related to quality of care. Conclusions: This review found preliminary evidence that detrimental physicians’ psychosocial work conditions adversely influence patient care quality. Future research needs to apply strong designs to disentangle the indirect and direct effects of adverse psychosocial work conditions on physicians as well as on quality of care.Keywords: psychosocial work conditions, physicians, quality of care, physician-patient-relationship, hospital, errors, review, work stress, clinicians

An observational study of patient care outcomes sensitive to handover quality in the Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit.

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Lillibridge, Nichole; Botti, Mari; Wood, Beverley; Redley, Bernice

2017-12-01

To identify patient care outcome indicators sensitive to the quality of interprofessional handover between the anaesthetist and the Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit nurse. The relationship between interprofessional clinical handover when patients are transferred from the operating theatre to the Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit and patient outcomes of subsequent patient care delivery is not well understood. Naturalistic, exploratory descriptive design using observation. Observations of 31 patient journeys through Post-Anaesthetic Care Units across three public and private hospitals. Characteristics of interprofessional handover on arrival in the Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit, the trajectory of patient care activities in Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit and patient outcomes were observed. Of the 821 care activities observed across 31 "patient journeys" in the Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit, observations (assessments and vital signs) (52.5 %), communication (15.8 %) and pain management (assessment of pain and analgesic administration) (10.3%) were most common. Examination of patterns in handover communications and subsequent trajectories of patient care activities revealed three patient trajectory typologies and two patient outcome indicators expected to be sensitive to the quality of interprofessional handover communication in the Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit: pain on discharge from the Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit and timely response to clinical deterioration. An additional process indicator, seeking missing information, was also identified. Patient's pain on discharge from Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit, escalation of care in response to early signs of deterioration and the need for nurses to seek out missing information to deliver care are indicators expected to be sensitive to the quality of interprofessional handover communication in the Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit. Future research should test these indicators. Patient outcomes sensitive to the quality of interprofessional handover on patient

Impact of nurse work environment and staffing on hospital nurse and quality of care in Thailand.

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Nantsupawat, Apiradee; Srisuphan, Wichit; Kunaviktikul, Wipada; Wichaikhum, Orn-Anong; Aungsuroch, Yupin; Aiken, Linda H

2011-12-01

To determine the impact of nurse work environment and staffing on nurse outcomes, including job satisfaction and burnout, and on quality of nursing care. Secondary data analysis of the 2007 Thai Nurse Survey. The sample consisted of 5,247 nurses who provided direct care for patients across 39 public hospitals in Thailand. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the impact of nurse work environment and staffing on nurse outcomes and quality of care. Nurses cared for an average of 10 patients each. Forty-one percent of nurses had a high burnout score as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory; 28% of nurses were dissatisfied with their job; and 27% rated quality of nursing care as fair or poor. At the hospital level, after controlling for nurse characteristics (age, years in unit), the addition of each patient to a nurse's workload was associated with a 2% increase in the odds on nurses reporting high emotional exhaustion (odds ratio [OR] 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.03; p work environments were about 30% less likely to report fair to poor care quality (OR 0.69; 95% CI 0.48-0.98; p work environments. The addition of each patient to a nurse's workload was associated with a 4% increase in the odds on nurses reporting quality of nursing care as fair or poor (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.02-1.05; p work environments and nurse staffing in Thai hospitals holds promise for reducing nurse burnout, thus improving nurse retention at the hospital bedside as well as potentially improving the quality of care. Nurses should work with management and policymakers to achieve safe staffing levels and good work environments in hospitals throughout the world. © 2011 Sigma Theta Tau International.

SafeCare: An Innovative Approach for Improving Quality Through Standards, Benchmarking, and Improvement in Low- and Middle- Income Countries.

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Johnson, Michael C; Schellekens, Onno; Stewart, Jacqui; van Ostenberg, Paul; de Wit, Tobias Rinke; Spieker, Nicole

2016-08-01

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), patients often have limited access to high-quality care because of a shortage of facilities and human resources, inefficiency of resource allocation, and limited health insurance. SafeCare was developed to provide innovative health care standards; surveyor training; a grading system for quality of care; a quality improvement process that is broken down into achievable, measurable steps to facilitate incremental improvement; and a private sector-supported health financing model. Three organizations-PharmAccess Foundation, Joint Commission International, and the Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa-launched SafeCare in 2011 as a formal partnership. Five SafeCare levels of improvement are allocated on the basis of an algorithm that incorporates both the overall score and weighted criteria, so that certain high-risk criteria need to be in place before a facility can move to the next SafeCare certification level. A customized quality improvement plan based on the SafeCare assessment results lists the specific, measurable activities that should be undertaken to address gaps in quality found during the initial assessment and to meet the nextlevel SafeCare certificate. The standards have been implemented in more than 800 primary and secondary facilities by qualified local surveyors, in partnership with various local public and private partner organizations, in six sub-Saharan African countries (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zambia). Expanding access to care and improving health care quality in LMICs will require a coordinated effort between institutions and other stakeholders. SafeCare's standards and assessment methodology can help build trust between stakeholders and lay the foundation for country-led quality monitoring systems.

Surgical nurses' perceptions of ethical dilemmas, moral distress and quality of care.

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DeKeyser Ganz, Freda; Berkovitz, Keren

2012-07-01

To describe surgical nurses' perceived levels of ethical dilemmas, moral distress and perceived quality of care and the associations among them. Nurses are committed to providing quality care. They can experience ethical dilemmas and moral distress while providing patient care. Little research has focused on the effect of moral distress or ethical dilemmas on perceived quality of care. Descriptive, cross-sectional study. After administration and institutional Research Ethics Committee approval, a researcher requested 119 surgical nurses working in two Israeli hospitals to fill out three questionnaires (personal background characteristics; Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing and Quality of Nursing Care). Data collection took place from August 2007 to January 2008. Participant mean age was 39·7 years. The sample consisted mostly of women, Jewish and married staff nurses. The majority of nurses reported low to moderate levels of ethical dilemma frequency but intermediate levels of ethical dilemma intensity. Frequency of ethical dilemmas was negatively correlated with level of nursing skill, meeting patient's needs and total quality of care. No important correlations were found between intensity of ethical dilemmas and quality of care. Levels of ethical dilemma frequency were higher than intensity. Nurses tended to be satisfied with their level of quality of care. Increased frequency of ethical dilemmas was associated with some aspects of perceived quality of care. Quality of care is related to ethical dilemmas and moral distress among surgical nurses. Therefore, efforts should be made to decrease the frequency of these feelings to improve the quality of patient care. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Impact of Information Technology, Clinical Resource Constraints, and Patient-Centered Practice Characteristics on Quality of Care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JongDeuk Baek

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: Factors in the practice environment, such as health information technology (IT infrastructure, availability of other clinical resources, and financial incentives, may influence whether practices are able to successfully implement the patient-centered medical home (PCMH model and realize its benefits. This study investigates the impacts of those PCMH-related elements on primary care physicians’ perception of quality of care. Methods: A multiple logistic regression model was estimated using the 2004 to 2005 CTS Physician Survey, a national sample of salaried primary care physicians (n = 1733. Results: The patient-centered practice environment and availability of clinical resources increased physicians’ perceived quality of care. Although IT use for clinical information access did enhance physicians’ ability to provide high quality of care, a similar positive impact of IT use was not found for e-prescribing or the exchange of clinical patient information. Lack of resources was negatively associated with physician perception of quality of care. Conclusion: Since health IT is an important foundation of PCMH, patient-centered practices are more likely to have health IT in place to support care delivery. However, despite its potential to enhance delivery of primary care, simply making health IT available does not necessarily translate into physicians’ perceptions that it enhances the quality of care they provide. It is critical for health-care managers and policy makers to ensure that primary care physicians fully recognize and embrace the use of new technology to improve both the quality of care provided and the patient outcomes.

Quality of prenatal care questionnaire: instrument development and testing.

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Heaman, Maureen I; Sword, Wendy A; Akhtar-Danesh, Noori; Bradford, Amanda; Tough, Suzanne; Janssen, Patricia A; Young, David C; Kingston, Dawn A; Hutton, Eileen K; Helewa, Michael E

2014-06-03

Utilization indices exist to measure quantity of prenatal care, but currently there is no published instrument to assess quality of prenatal care. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a new instrument, the Quality of Prenatal Care Questionnaire (QPCQ). Data for this instrument development study were collected in five Canadian cities. Items for the QPCQ were generated through interviews with 40 pregnant women and 40 health care providers and a review of prenatal care guidelines, followed by assessment of content validity and rating of importance of items. The preliminary 100-item QPCQ was administered to 422 postpartum women to conduct item reduction using exploratory factor analysis. The final 46-item version of the QPCQ was then administered to another 422 postpartum women to establish its construct validity, and internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Exploratory factor analysis reduced the QPCQ to 46 items, factored into 6 subscales, which subsequently were validated by confirmatory factor analysis. Construct validity was also demonstrated using a hypothesis testing approach; there was a significant positive association between women's ratings of the quality of prenatal care and their satisfaction with care (r = 0.81). Convergent validity was demonstrated by a significant positive correlation (r = 0.63) between the "Support and Respect" subscale of the QPCQ and the "Respectfulness/Emotional Support" subscale of the Prenatal Interpersonal Processes of Care instrument. The overall QPCQ had acceptable internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.96), as did each of the subscales. The test-retest reliability result (Intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.88) indicated stability of the instrument on repeat administration approximately one week later. Temporal stability testing confirmed that women's ratings of their quality of prenatal care did not change as a result of giving birth or between the early postpartum

Quality of prenatal care questionnaire: instrument development and testing

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Utilization indices exist to measure quantity of prenatal care, but currently there is no published instrument to assess quality of prenatal care. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a new instrument, the Quality of Prenatal Care Questionnaire (QPCQ). Methods Data for this instrument development study were collected in five Canadian cities. Items for the QPCQ were generated through interviews with 40 pregnant women and 40 health care providers and a review of prenatal care guidelines, followed by assessment of content validity and rating of importance of items. The preliminary 100-item QPCQ was administered to 422 postpartum women to conduct item reduction using exploratory factor analysis. The final 46-item version of the QPCQ was then administered to another 422 postpartum women to establish its construct validity, and internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Results Exploratory factor analysis reduced the QPCQ to 46 items, factored into 6 subscales, which subsequently were validated by confirmatory factor analysis. Construct validity was also demonstrated using a hypothesis testing approach; there was a significant positive association between women’s ratings of the quality of prenatal care and their satisfaction with care (r = 0.81). Convergent validity was demonstrated by a significant positive correlation (r = 0.63) between the “Support and Respect” subscale of the QPCQ and the “Respectfulness/Emotional Support” subscale of the Prenatal Interpersonal Processes of Care instrument. The overall QPCQ had acceptable internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.96), as did each of the subscales. The test-retest reliability result (Intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.88) indicated stability of the instrument on repeat administration approximately one week later. Temporal stability testing confirmed that women’s ratings of their quality of prenatal care did not change as a result of giving

Drivers of maternity care in high-income countries: can health systems support woman-centred care?

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Shaw, Dorothy; Guise, Jeanne-Marie; Shah, Neel; Gemzell-Danielsson, Kristina; Joseph, K S; Levy, Barbara; Wong, Fontayne; Woodd, Susannah; Main, Elliott K

2016-11-05

In high-income countries, medical interventions to address the known risks associated with pregnancy and birth have been largely successful and have resulted in very low levels of maternal and neonatal mortality. In this Series paper, we present the main care delivery models, with case studies of the USA and Sweden, and examine the main drivers of these models. Although nearly all births are attended by a skilled birth attendant and are in an institution, practice, cadre, facility size, and place of birth vary widely; for example, births occur in homes, birth centres, midwifery-led birthing units in hospitals, and in high intervention hospital birthing facilities. Not all care is evidenced-based, and some care provision may be harmful. Fear prevails among subsets of women and providers. In some settings, medical liability costs are enormous, human resource shortages are common, and costs of providing care can be very high. New challenges linked to alteration of epidemiology, such as obesity and older age during pregnancy, are also present. Data are often not readily available to inform policy and practice in a timely way and surveillance requires greater attention and investment. Outcomes are not equitable, and disadvantaged segments of the population face access issues and substantially elevated risks. At the same time, examples of excellence and progress exist, from clinical interventions to models of care and practice. Labourists (who provide care for all the facility's women for labour and delivery) are discussed as a potential solution. Quality and safety factors are informed by women's experiences, as well as medical evidence. Progress requires the ability to normalise birth for most women, with integrated services available if complications develop. We also discuss mechanisms to improve quality of care and highlight areas where research can address knowledge gaps with potential for impact. Evaluation of models that provide woman-centred care and the best

Public reporting in health care: how do consumers use quality-of-care information? A systematic review.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Faber, M.J.; Bosch, M.C.; Wollersheim, H.C.H.; Leatherman, S.; Grol, R.P.T.M.

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: One of the underlying goals of public reporting is to encourage the consumer to select health care providers or health plans that offer comparatively better quality-of-care. OBJECTIVE: To review the weight consumers give to quality-of-care information in the process of choice, to

[Analysis of public quality reports for home care and long-term care with respect to their usefulness for the customer].

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Sünderkamp, Susanne; Weiß, Christian; Rothgang, Heinz

2014-10-01

Public quality reports, based on new legislative regulations of 2008, were supposed to offer potential customers the possibility to make a well-informed choice of a care provider. This empirical study on marks for long-term care is based on the public quality reports of the Medical Service of the Health Insurance Companies (MDK), of 11 884 home care services and 10 310 nursing homes, which corresponds to a comprehensive survey of almost all care providers in Germany. Descriptive statistical methods and discussion of the results concerning the customer benefit. The analysis of transparency reports reveals a limited value for customers, which is particularly caused by very good quality results with low scattering. In addition, a high amount of missing data - especially in the area of home care providers - leads to a growing influence of service criteria on the final grade. Though deficits in nursing might be compensated by good marks in service criteria, it rarely occurs. At present, a more detailed look at risk criteria hardly improves the customer benefit. The marks for nursing need to be improved to increase their informative value for the customer.

Agents for change: nonphysician medical providers and health care quality.

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Boucher, Nathan A; Mcmillen, Marvin A; Gould, James S

2015-01-01

Quality medical care is a clinical and public health imperative, but defining quality and achieving improved, measureable outcomes are extremely complex challenges. Adherence to best practice invariably improves outcomes. Nonphysician medical providers (NPMPs), such as physician assistants and advanced practice nurses (eg, nurse practitioners, advanced practice registered nurses, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse midwives), may be the first caregivers to encounter the patient and can act as agents for change for an organization's quality-improvement mandate. NPMPs are well positioned to both initiate and ensure optimal adherence to best practices and care processes from the moment of initial contact because they have robust clinical training and are integral to trainee/staff education and the timely delivery of care. The health care quality aspects that the practicing NPMP can affect are objective, appreciative, and perceptive. As bedside practitioners and participants in the administrative and team process, NPMPs can fine-tune care delivery, avoiding the problem areas defined by the Institute of Medicine: misuse, overuse, and underuse of care. This commentary explores how NPMPs can affect quality by 1) supporting best practices through the promotion of guidelines and protocols, and 2) playing active, if not leadership, roles in patient engagement and organizational quality-improvement efforts.

An investigation of the effects of a nonprofit agency's investigations on quality of care in nursing homes.

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Lorentz, Madeline; Finnegan, Brittany

2013-01-01

This study examined whether an agency's investigation of complaints in 40 nursing homes is positively correlated with the quality of nursing home care. A quantitative methodology design using quantitative and qualitative data was used to assess the relationship between Agency X's investigation of consumers' nursing home complaints and the quality of nursing home care. Results showed fewer violations after the agency's interventions, indicating improvement in the nursing care. Analysis showed on average 0.14 fewer violations. This decrease is statistically significant (p = .015), indicating that this agency's intervention improved nursing home care. Additional studies are needed to further explore the quality of care given in nursing homes. Nurses may propose to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to establish a new innovative system for ensuring high quality nursing home care by requiring the establishment of outside agencies, such as Agency X, to monitor care in addition to the annual surveys conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Implementing a user-driven online quality improvement toolkit for cancer care.

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Luck, Jeff; York, Laura S; Bowman, Candice; Gale, Randall C; Smith, Nina; Asch, Steven M

2015-05-01

Peer-to-peer collaboration within integrated health systems requires a mechanism for sharing quality improvement lessons. The Veterans Health Administration (VA) developed online compendia of tools linked to specific cancer quality indicators. We evaluated awareness and use of the toolkits, variation across facilities, impact of social marketing, and factors influencing toolkit use. A diffusion of innovations conceptual framework guided the collection of user activity data from the Toolkit Series SharePoint site and an online survey of potential Lung Cancer Care Toolkit users. The VA Toolkit Series site had 5,088 unique visitors in its first 22 months; 5% of users accounted for 40% of page views. Social marketing communications were correlated with site usage. Of survey respondents (n = 355), 54% had visited the site, of whom 24% downloaded at least one tool. Respondents' awareness of the lung cancer quality performance of their facility, and facility participation in quality improvement collaboratives, were positively associated with Toolkit Series site use. Facility-level lung cancer tool implementation varied widely across tool types. The VA Toolkit Series achieved widespread use and a high degree of user engagement, although use varied widely across facilities. The most active users were aware of and active in cancer care quality improvement. Toolkit use seemed to be reinforced by other quality improvement activities. A combination of user-driven tool creation and centralized toolkit development seemed to be effective for leveraging health information technology to spread disease-specific quality improvement tools within an integrated health care system. Copyright © 2015 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Evaluating the Quality of Patient Decision-Making Regarding Post-Acute Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Robert E; Jones, Jacqueline; Lawrence, Emily; Ladebue, Amy; Ayele, Roman; Leonard, Chelsea; Lippmann, Brandi; Matlock, Daniel D; Allyn, Rebecca; Cumbler, Ethan

2018-05-01

Despite a national focus on post-acute care brought about by recent payment reforms, relatively little is known about how hospitalized older adults and their caregivers decide whether to go to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) after hospitalization. We sought to understand to what extent hospitalized older adults and their caregivers are empowered to make a high-quality decision about utilizing an SNF for post-acute care and what contextual or process elements led to satisfaction with the outcome of their decision once in SNF. Qualitative inquiry using the Ottawa Decision Support Framework (ODSF), a conceptual framework that describes key components of high-quality decision-making. Thirty-two previously community-dwelling older adults (≥ 65 years old) and 22 caregivers interviewed at three different hospitals and three skilled nursing facilities. We used key components of the ODSF to identify elements of context and process that affected decision-making and to what extent the outcome was characteristic of a high-quality decision: informed, values based, and not associated with regret or blame. The most important contextual themes were the presence of active medical conditions in the hospital that made decision-making difficult, prior experiences with hospital readmission or SNF, relative level of caregiver support, and pressure to make a decision quickly for which participants felt unprepared. Patients described playing a passive role in the decision-making process and largely relying on recommendations from the medical team. Patients commonly expressed resignation and a perceived lack of choice or autonomy, leading to dissatisfaction with the outcome. Understanding and intervening to improve the quality of decision-making regarding post-acute care supports is essential for improving outcomes of hospitalized older adults. Our results suggest that simply providing information is not sufficient; rather, incorporating key contextual factors and improving the

Improving quality of care among patients hospitalised with schizophrenia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Mette; Mainz, Jan; Svendsen, Marie Louise

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of systematic quality improvement initiatives in psychiatric care remains unclear. AIMS: To examine whether quality of care has changed following implementation of a systematic monitoring programme of hospital performance measures. METHOD: In a nationwide population.......27-1.62), psychoeducation (RR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.19-1.48), psychiatric aftercare (RR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01-1.11) and suicide risk assessment (RR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.21-1.42). CONCLUSIONS: Quality of care improved from 2004 to 2011 among patients hospitalised with schizophrenia in Denmark. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: None. COPYRIGHT...

Issues of quality and consumer rights in the health care market.

Science.gov (United States)

Copeland, C

1998-04-01

This Issue Brief describes how the structure of the health care market has changed in the recent years. It outlines the growth in managed care and the changes in the types of managed care plans available. In addition, it discusses the issue of quality in the health care market. It also includes an overview of the legislative topics and issues relating to quality and consumer rights that policymakers are currently considering. Growth in national health expenditures, the medical care price index, and employer health care costs has slowed significantly since 1990. This decreased growth has coincided with substantial increases in managed care plan enrollment. The percentage of employees enrolled in managed care plans increased from 48 percent to 85 percent from 1992 to 1997. Quality is a multidimensional concept. Although individuals may agree on its components, they may disagree on the relative importance of these components. Therefore, disagreement exists not only on how to measure quality but also on how it is defined. Consequently, policy decisions need to be based on an evaluation of a particular law's effect as opposed to its stated goal or intent. This distinction is important because a law that addresses access or consumer rights does not necessarily address the quality of care a consumer receives. Ultimately, whether an individual believes that a law truly addresses quality will depend in a large part on his or her subjective opinion of what quality entails. To date, comparison of the quality of managed care plans with that of fee-for-service plans has not produced results that uniformly differentiate between these two plan types in either a positive or a negative way. In addition, it is important to note that the current debate on the quality of care provided in the health care market is not new to the present managed care era. The regulations and mandates discussed in this report would not guarantee increased quality in the health care market, unless quality

Examining the Relationship Between Perceived Quality of Care and Actual Quality of Care as Measured by 30-Day Readmission Rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Salinas, Stanley R

To test the relationship between patient experience, as measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), and actual quality of care, as measured by 30-day readmission rates. Both HCAHPS data and outcome data reported to the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This secondary, nationwide (N = 4060), hospital-level study focused only on acute care hospitals. HCAHPS question 22 "Would you recommend this hospital to your friends and family?" was used to determine level of overall satisfaction, and 30-day readmission rates, as reported to the CMS, was used as a proxy for actual quality of care. A statistically significant relationship was found between patient experience and actual quality outcomes. The results of this study reinforce the inclusion of patient experience in Medicare's Value Based Purchasing program as a matter of good public policy.

Quality and uptake of antenatal and postnatal care in Haiti.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirkovic, Kelsey R; Lathrop, Eva; Hulland, Erin N; Jean-Louis, Reginald; Lauture, Daniel; D'Alexis, Ghislaine Desinor; Handzel, Endang; Grand-Pierre, Reynold

2017-02-02

Despite improvement, maternal mortality in Haiti remains high at 359/100,000 live births. Improving access to high quality antenatal and postnatal care has been shown to reduce maternal mortality and improve newborn outcomes. Little is known regarding the quality and uptake of antenatal and postnatal care among Haitian women. Exit interviews were conducted with all pregnant and postpartum women seeking care from large health facilities (n = 10) in the Nord and Nord-Est department and communes of St. Marc, Verrettes, and Petite Rivière in Haiti over the study period (March-April 2015; 3-4 days/facility). Standard questions related to demographics, previous pregnancies, current pregnancy, and services/satisfaction during the visit were asked. Total number of antenatal visits were abstracted from charts of recently delivered women (n = 1141). Provider knowledge assessments were completed by antenatal and postnatal care providers (n = 39). Frequencies were calculated for descriptive variables and multivariable logistic regression was used to explore predictors of receiving 5 out of 10 counseling messages among pregnant women. Among 894 pregnant women seeking antenatal care, most reported receiving standard clinical service components during their visit (97% were weighed, 80% had fetal heart tones checked), however fewer reported receiving recommended counseling messages (44% counselled on danger signs, 33% on postpartum family planning). Far fewer women were seeking postnatal care (n = 63) and similar service patterns were reported. Forty-three percent of pregnant women report receiving at least 5 out of 10 counseling messages. Pregnant women on a repeat visit and women with greater educational attainment had greater odds of reporting having received 5 out of 10 counseling messages (2 nd visit: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] =1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-2.66; 5+ visit: aOR = 5.44, 95% CI: 2.91-10.16; elementary school certificate: a

Two-year impact of the alternative quality contract on pediatric health care quality and spending.

Science.gov (United States)

Chien, Alyna T; Song, Zirui; Chernew, Michael E; Landon, Bruce E; McNeil, Barbara J; Safran, Dana G; Schuster, Mark A

2014-01-01

To examine the 2-year effect of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts' global budget arrangement, the Alternative Quality Contract (AQC), on pediatric quality and spending for children with special health care needs (CSHCN) and non-CSHCN. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we compared quality and spending trends for 126,975 unique 0- to 21-year-olds receiving care from AQC groups with 415,331 propensity-matched patients receiving care from non-AQC groups; 23% of enrollees were CSHCN. We compared quality and spending pre (2006-2008) and post (2009-2010) AQC implementation, adjusting analyses for age, gender, health risk score, and secular trends. Pediatric outcome measures included 4 preventive and 2 acute care measures tied to pay-for-performance (P4P), 3 asthma and 2 attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder quality measures not tied to P4P, and average total annual medical spending. During the first 2 years of the AQC, pediatric care quality tied to P4P increased by +1.8% for CSHCN (P < .001) and +1.2% for non-CSHCN (P < .001) for AQC versus non-AQC groups; quality measures not tied to P4P showed no significant changes. Average total annual medical spending was ~5 times greater for CSHCN than non-CSHCN; there was no significant impact of the AQC on spending trends for children. During the first 2 years of the contract, the AQC had a small but significant positive effect on pediatric preventive care quality tied to P4P; this effect was greater for CSHCN than non-CSHCN. However, it did not significantly influence (positively or negatively) CSHCN measures not tied to P4P or affect per capita spending for either group.

Carepaths: a framework for quality patient care

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazanec, Susan; Antunez, Antonio; Novak, Louis; Vinkler, Robert; Stark, Bonita; Mangosh, Linda; Pillai, Kunjan; Jackson, Celeste; Wilkenfeld, Bruce

1997-01-01

Purpose/Objective: The goals of a carepath are to provide a framework for quality patient care, enhance collaborative practice, improve resource utilization, and increase patient satisfaction. Carepaths are designed to move the patient toward specific clinical outcomes, which have been defined by a multidisciplinary team. Carepaths enhance the quality improvement process by tracking clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. The purpose of this report is to share the 1996 results of our breast cancer carepath. Methods: In 1994 the multidisciplinary Quality Improvement Committee of the Division of Radiation Oncology constructed a carepath for women with breast cancer receiving breast or chest wall radiation. Eleven clinical outcomes were defined which reflected the educational and selfcare focus of the carepath. Recording on the carepath of patient attainment of the outcomes was done by the RN, RTT and MD. Patient satisfaction tools were designed by the quality improvement committee in conjunction with the Department of Marketing Support. Each patient was given a written survey at two points along the carepath: post simulation and post treatment. Results: Ninety-five women were placed on the breast carepath in 1996. Outcomes were reviewed for 40 of these carepaths. The return rate of patient satisfaction surveys post simulation and post treatment approached 99%. Overall satisfaction was high with 76% of patients feeling 'very satisfied' with the simulation process and 93% 'very satisfied' with the treatment experience. Common themes noted in anecdotes related to comfort and privacy issues. Conclusions: Based on our experience, carepaths facilitated the structuring of a comprehensive and collaborative approach to patient care. Strategies for process improvement were guided by the ongoing surveillance of clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction

Effort-reward imbalance and perceived quality of patient care: a cross-sectional study among physicians in Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Loerbroks

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Work stress may impair physicians’ ability to provide high quality patient care. Prior research remains however sparse and has insufficiently explored explanations for this relationship. It has been suggested that physicians’ poor mental health is one potential explanatory factor. We drew on a well-established model to measure work stress (the effort-reward imbalance [ERI] model in order to test this hypothesis. Further, to address another research gap and to potentially inform the development of better-targeted interventions, we aimed to examine associations of individual ERI constructs with the quality of care. Methods We used cross-sectional data, which had been collected in 2014 among 416 physicians in Germany. ERI constructs (i.e. effort, reward, the ERI ratio, and overcommitment were measured by the established 23-item questionnaire. Physicians’ perceptions of quality of care were assessed by a six-item instrument inquiring after poor care practices or attitudes. Physicians’ mental health was operationalized by the state scale of the Spielberger's State-Trait Depression Scales. We used both continuous and categorized dependent and independent variables in multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses. Results Both an increasing ERI ratio and increasing effort were associated with poorer quality of care while increasing rewards were related to better care. Physicians’ depressive symptoms did not affect these associations substantially. Associations with overcommitment were weak and attenuated to non-significant levels by correction for depressive symptoms. The level of overcommitment did not modify associations between the ERI ratio and quality of care. Conclusions Our study suggests that high work-related efforts and low rewards are associated with reports of poorer patient care among physicians, irrespectively of physicians’ depressive symptoms. Quality of patient care may thus be improved by

Initial Steps for Quality Improvement of Obesity Care Across Divisions at a Tertiary Care Pediatric Hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheila Z. Chang

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Pediatric subspecialists can participate in the care of obese children. Objective: To describe steps to help subspecialty providers initiate quality improvement efforts in obesity care. Methods: An anonymous patient data download, provider surveys and interviews assessed subspecialty providers’ identification and perspectives of childhood obesity and gathered information on perceived roles and care strategies. Participating divisions received summary analyses of quantitative and qualitative data and met with study leaders to develop visions for division/service-specific care improvement. Results: Among 13 divisions/services, subspecialists’ perceived role varied by specialty; many expressed the need for cross-collaboration. All survey informants agreed that identification was the first step, and expressed interest in obtaining additional resources to improve care. Conclusions: Subspecialists were interested in improving the quality and coordination of obesity care for patients across our tertiary care setting. Developing quality improvement projects to achieve greater pediatric obesity care goals starts with engagement of providers toward better identifying and managing childhood obesity.

Measurement of Health Care Quality in Atopic Dermatitis - Development and Application of a Set of Quality Indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinke, S; Beikert, F C; Langenbruch, A; Fölster-Holst, R; Ring, J; Schmitt, J; Werfel, T; Hintzen, S; Franzke, N; Augustin, M

2018-05-15

Quality indicators are essential tools for the assessment of health care, in particular for guideline-based procedures. 1) Development of a set of indicators for the evaluation of process and outcomes quality in atopic dermatitis (AD) care. 2) Application of the indicators to a cross-sectional study and creation of a global process quality index. An expert committee consisting of 10 members of the German guideline group on atopic dermatitis condensed potential quality indicators to a final set of 5 outcomes quality and 12 process quality indicators using a Delphi panel. The outcomes quality and 7 resp. 8 process quality indicators were retrospectively applied to a nationwide study on 1,678 patients with atopic dermatitis (AtopicHealth). Each individual process quality indicator score was then summed up to a global index (ranges from 0 (no quality achieved) to 100 (full quality achieved)) displaying the quality of health care. In total, the global process quality index revealed a median value of 62.5 and did not or only slightly correlate to outcome indicators as the median SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis; rp =0.08), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI; rp = 0.256), and Patient Benefit Index (PBI; rp = -0.151). Process quality of AD care is moderate to good. The health care process quality index does not substantially correlate to the health status of AD patients measured by 5 different outcomes quality indicators. Further research should include the investigation of reliability, responsiveness, and feasibility of the proposed quality indicators for AD. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Two-Year Costs and Quality in the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative.

Science.gov (United States)

Dale, Stacy B; Ghosh, Arkadipta; Peikes, Deborah N; Day, Timothy J; Yoon, Frank B; Taylor, Erin Fries; Swankoski, Kaylyn; O'Malley, Ann S; Conway, Patrick H; Rajkumar, Rahul; Press, Matthew J; Sessums, Laura; Brown, Randall

2016-06-16

The 4-year, multipayer Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative was started in October 2012 to determine whether several forms of support would produce changes in care delivery that would improve the quality and reduce the costs of care at 497 primary care practices in seven regions across the United States. Support included the provision of care-management fees, the opportunity to earn shared savings, and the provision of data feedback and learning support. We tracked changes in the delivery of care by practices participating in the initiative and used difference-in-differences regressions to compare changes over the first 2 years of the initiative in Medicare expenditures, health care utilization, claims-based measures of quality, and patient experience for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries attributed to initiative practices and a group of matched comparison practices. During the first 2 years, initiative practices received a median of $115,000 per clinician in care-management fees. The practices reported improvements in approaches to the delivery of primary care in areas such as management of the care of high-risk patients and enhanced access to care. Changes in average monthly Medicare expenditures per beneficiary did not differ significantly between initiative and comparison practices when care-management fees were not taken into account (-$11; 95% confidence interval [CI], -$23 to $1; P=0.07; negative values indicate less growth in spending at initiative practices) or when these fees were taken into account ($7; 95% CI, -$5 to $19; P=0.27). The only significant differences in other measures were a 3% reduction in primary care visits for initiative practices relative to comparison practices (Pinitiative practices relative to comparison practices (P=0.006 and Pinitiative have reported progress in transforming the delivery of primary care. However, at this point these practices have not yet shown savings in expenditures for Medicare Parts A and B after

Linking nurses' perceptions of patient care quality to job satisfaction: the role of authentic leadership and empowering professional practice environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Spence Laschinger, Heather K; Fida, Roberta

2015-05-01

A model linking authentic leadership, structural empowerment, and supportive professional practice environments to nurses' perceptions of patient care quality and job satisfaction was tested. Positive work environment characteristics are important for nurses' perceptions of patient care quality and job satisfaction (significant factors for retention). Few studies have examined the mechanism by which these characteristics operate to influence perceptions of patient care quality or job satisfaction. A cross-sectional provincial survey of 723 Canadian nurses was used to test the hypothesized models using structural equation modeling. The model was an acceptable fit and all paths were significant. Authentic leadership had a positive effect on structural empowerment, which had a positive effect on perceived support for professional practice and a negative effect on nurses' perceptions that inadequate unit staffing prevented them from providing high-quality patient care. These workplace conditions predicted job satisfaction. Authentic leaders play an important role in creating empowering professional practice environments that foster high-quality care and job satisfaction.

Delivering quality of care while managing the interests of all stakeholders.

Science.gov (United States)

Stopper, Andrea; Raddatz, Agnieszka; Grassmann, Aileen; Stuard, Stefano; Menzer, Marcus; Possnien, Gernot; Scatizzi, Laura; Marcelli, Daniele

2011-01-01

National healthcare systems worldwide face growing challenges to reconcile interests of patients for high-quality medical care and of payers for sustainable and affordable funding. Advances in the provision of renal replacement therapy can only be made by developing and implementing appropriate sophisticated and state-of-the-art business models that include reimbursement schemes for comprehensive care packages. Such business models must succeed in integrating and reconciling the interests of all stakeholders. NephroCare as dialysis provider has adopted and tailored recognized management techniques, i.e. Balanced Scorecard and Kaizen, to achieve these goals. Success of the complete business model package is tangible - strategies initiated to improve treatment quality even at the cost of providers have been translated into win-win scenarios for the complete stakeholder community. Room for improvement exists: the possibility to extend the portfolio of service offerings within the comprehensive care frame, as well as the challenge for achieving a balance between the stability of targets while keeping these up to date concerning new insights. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Carefree in child care ?: child wellbeing, caregiving quality, and intervention programs in center-based child care

OpenAIRE

Werner, Claudia Denise

2014-01-01

The use of center child care in Western countries has increased over the last three decades and is nowadays the most frequently used type of non-parental care for children aged zero to four (OECD, 2013). The aim of the current dissertation is to shed more light on indicators of child care quality in center child care and to answer the question whether narrow-focused caregiver interventions are effective in improving child care quality. The reported meta-analysis shows that narrow-focus interv...

Quasi-experimental evaluation of a multifaceted intervention to improve quality of end-of-life care and quality of dying for patients with advanced dementia in long-term care institutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Verreault, René; Arcand, Marcel; Misson, Lucie; Durand, Pierre J; Kroger, Edeltraut; Aubin, Michèle; Savoie, Maryse; Hadjistavropoulos, Thomas; Kaasalainen, Sharon; Bédard, Annick; Grégoire, Annie; Carmichael, Pierre-Hughes

2018-03-01

Improvement in the quality of end-of-life care for advanced dementia is increasingly recognized as a priority in palliative care. To evaluate the impact of a multidimensional intervention to improve quality of care and quality of dying in advanced dementia in long-term care facilities. Quasi-experimental study with the intervention taking place in two long-term care facilities versus usual care in two others over a 1-year period. The intervention had five components: (1) training program to physicians and nursing staff, (2) clinical monitoring of pain using an observational pain scale, (3) implementation of a regular mouth care routine, (4) early and systematic communication with families about end-of-life care issues with provision of an information booklet, and (5) involvement of a nurse facilitator to implement and monitor the intervention. Quality of care was assessed with the Family Perception of Care Scale. The Symptom Management for End-of-Life Care in Dementia and the Comfort Assessment in Dying scales were used to assess the quality of dying. A total of 193 residents with advanced dementia and their close family members were included (97 in the intervention group and 96 in the usual care group). The Family Perception of Care score was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the usual care group (157.3 vs 149.1; p = 0.04). The Comfort Assessment and Symptom Management scores were also significantly higher in the intervention group. Our multidimensional intervention in long-term care facilities for patients with terminal dementia resulted in improved quality of care and quality of dying when compared to usual care.

Directing Improvements in Primary Care Patient Experience through Analysis of Service Quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson Smith, Mel; Smith, David

2018-06-03

To examine the influence of dimensions of service quality on patient experience of primary care. Data from the national GP Patient Survey in England 2014/15, with responses from 858,351 patients registered at 7,918 practices. Expert panel and principal component analysis helped identify relevant dimensions of service quality. Regression was then used to examine the relationships between these dimensions and reported patient experience. Aggregated scores for each practice were used, comprising the proportion of positive responses to each element of the study. Of eight service quality dimensions identified, six have statistically significant impacts on patient experience but only two have large effects. Patient experience is highly influenced by practice responsiveness and the interactions with the physician. Other dimensions have small or even slightly negative influence. Service quality provided by nurses has negligible effect on patient experience. To improve patient experience in primary health care, efforts should focus on practice responsiveness and interactions with the physician. Other areas have little influence over patient experience. This suggests a gap in patients' perspectives on health care, which has policy implications for patient education. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Executive summary of the KDIGO Controversies Conference on Supportive Care in Chronic Kidney Disease: developing a roadmap to improving quality care.

Science.gov (United States)

Davison, Sara N; Levin, Adeera; Moss, Alvin H; Jha, Vivekanand; Brown, Edwina A; Brennan, Frank; Murtagh, Fliss E M; Naicker, Saraladevi; Germain, Michael J; O'Donoghue, Donal J; Morton, Rachael L; Obrador, Gregorio T

2015-09-01

Patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a high burden of physical and psychosocial symptoms, poor outcomes, and high costs of care. Current paradigms of care for this highly vulnerable population are variable, prognostic and assessment tools are limited, and quality of care, particularly regarding conservative and palliative care, is suboptimal. The KDIGO Controversies Conference on Supportive Care in CKD reviewed the current state of knowledge in order to define a roadmap to guide clinical and research activities focused on improving the outcomes of people living with advanced CKD, including those on dialysis. An international group of multidisciplinary experts in CKD, palliative care, methodology, economics, and education identified the key issues related to palliative care in this population. The conference led to a working plan to address outstanding issues in this arena, and this executive summary serves as an output to guide future work, including the development of globally applicable guidelines.

Physicians' perceptions of quality of care, professional autonomy, and job satisfaction in Canada, Norway, and the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Tyssen, Reidar; Palmer, Karen S; Solberg, Ingunn B; Voltmer, Edgar; Frank, Erica

2013-12-15

We lack national and cross-national studies of physicians' perceptions of quality of patient care, professional autonomy, and job satisfaction to inform clinicians and policymakers. This study aims to compare such perceptions in Canada, the United States (U.S.), and Norway. We analyzed data from large, nationwide, representative samples of physicians in Canada (n = 3,213), the U.S. (n = 6,628), and Norway (n = 657), examining demographics, job satisfaction, and professional autonomy. Among U.S. physicians, 79% strongly agreed/agreed they could provide high quality patient care vs. only 46% of Canadian and 59% of Norwegian physicians. U.S. physicians also perceived more clinical autonomy and time with their patients, with differences remaining significant even after controlling for age, gender, and clinical hours. Women reported less adequate time, clinical freedom, and ability to provide high-quality care. Country differences were the strongest predictors for the professional autonomy variables. In all three countries, physicians' perceptions of quality of care, clinical freedom, and time with patients influenced their overall job satisfaction. Fewer U.S. physicians reported their overall job satisfaction to be at-least-somewhat satisfied than did Norwegian and Canadian physicians. U.S. physicians perceived higher quality of patient care and greater professional autonomy, but somewhat lower job satisfaction than their colleagues in Norway and Canada. Differences in health care system financing and delivery might help explain this difference; Canada and Norway have more publicly-financed, not-for-profit health care delivery systems, vs. a more-privately-financed and profit-driven system in the U.S. None of these three highly-resourced countries, however, seem to have achieved an ideal health care system from the perspective of their physicians.

Improving the quality of depression and pain care in multiple sclerosis using collaborative care: The MS-care trial protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehde, Dawn M; Alschuler, Kevin N; Sullivan, Mark D; Molton, Ivan P; Ciol, Marcia A; Bombardier, Charles H; Curran, Mary C; Gertz, Kevin J; Wundes, Annette; Fann, Jesse R

2018-01-01

Evidence-based pharmacological and behavioral interventions are often underutilized or inaccessible to persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have chronic pain and/or depression. Collaborative care is an evidence-based patient-centered, integrated, system-level approach to improving the quality and outcomes of depression care. We describe the development of and randomized controlled trial testing a novel intervention, MS Care, which uses a collaborative care model to improve the care of depression and chronic pain in a MS specialty care setting. We describe a 16-week randomized controlled trial comparing the MS Care collaborative care intervention to usual care in an outpatient MS specialty center. Eligible participants with chronic pain of at least moderate intensity (≥3/10) and/or major depressive disorder are randomly assigned to MS Care or usual care. MS Care utilizes a care manager to implement and coordinate guideline-based medical and behavioral treatments with the patient, clinic providers, and pain/depression treatment experts. We will compare outcomes at post-treatment and 6-month follow up. We hypothesize that participants randomly assigned to MS Care will demonstrate significantly greater control of both pain and depression at post-treatment (primary endpoint) relative to those assigned to usual care. Secondary analyses will examine quality of care, patient satisfaction, adherence to MS care, and quality of life. Study findings will aid patients, clinicians, healthcare system leaders, and policy makers in making decisions about effective care for pain and depression in MS healthcare systems. (PCORI- IH-1304-6379; clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02137044). This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, protocol NCT02137044. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measuring the Multifaceted Nature of Infant and Toddler Care Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Mangione, Peter L.; Kriener-Althen, Kerry; Marcella, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Research Findings: The quality of group care infants and toddlers experience relates to their concurrent and later development. Recent quality improvement initiatives point to the need for ecologically valid measures that assess the multifaceted nature of child care quality. In this article, we present the psychometric properties of an infant and…

Quality evaluation in health care services based on customer-provider relationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Eiriz, Vasco; Figueiredo, José António

2005-01-01

To develop a framework for evaluating the quality of Portuguese health care organisations based on the relationship between customers and providers, to define key variables related to the quality of health care services based on a review of the available literature, and to establish a conceptual framework in order to test the framework and variables empirically. Systematic review of the literature. Health care services quality should not be evaluated exclusively by customers. Given the complexity, ambiguity and heterogeneity of health care services, the authors develop a framework for health care evaluation based on the relationship between customers (patients, their relatives and citizens) and providers (managers, doctors, other technical staff and non-technical staff), and considering four quality items (customer service orientation, financial performance, logistical functionality and level of staff competence). This article identifies important changes in the Portuguese health care industry, such as the ownership of health care providers. At the same time, customers are changing their attitudes towards health care, becoming much more concerned and demanding of health services. These changes are forcing Portuguese private and public health care organisations to develop more marketing-oriented services. This article recognises the importance of quality evaluation of health care services as a means of increasing customer satisfaction and organisational efficiency, and develops a framework for health care evaluation based on the relationship between customers and providers.

Analysing Maternal Employment and Child Care Quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akgündüz, Yusuf

2014-01-01

The contributions in this thesis revolve around mothers' employment and child care quality. The first topic of interest is how mothers' employment is affected by modern child care services and parental leave entitlements. There is already an extensive literature on the effects of modern social

System-Level Action Required for Wide-Scale Improvement in Quality of Primary Health Care: Synthesis of Feedback from an Interactive Process to Promote Dissemination and Use of Aggregated Quality of Care Data.

Science.gov (United States)