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A complementary approach to outcome analysis in the parturient
D Pagenkopf1, J M Davies, M Bahan
1Department of Anaesthesia, Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Quality Assurance in Health Care : the Official Journal of the International Society for Quality Assurance in Health Care
|January 1, 1991
Summary
This study implemented a new quality assurance audit for obstetric anesthesia care, incorporating patient-described outcomes alongside technical assessments. The enhanced audit provides a comprehensive evaluation of care quality and patient satisfaction.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Anesthesiology
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
Background:
- Routine Quality Assurance (QA) in obstetric anaesthetic care traditionally involved technical audits and patient satisfaction surveys.
- A need existed to broaden the scope of QA to include patient perspectives on care outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance the quarterly audit of obstetric anaesthetic care by incorporating Patient-Described Outcomes (PDO).
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a volunteer-led, cost-effective data collection method for QA activities.
- To provide comprehensive feedback for departmental QA programs through integrated technical and PDO assessments.
Main Methods:
- A volunteer conducted a quarterly audit of patient outcomes following obstetric anaesthetic care.
- Data collection involved patient interviews and questionnaires for PDO factors, supplemented by a chart audit for technical details.
- Simple data analysis was performed to assess both technical aspects and PDOs.
Main Results:
- The audit successfully integrated 'Patient Described Outcome' (PDO) data collection alongside technical assessments.
- Volunteer-led data collection proved cost-effective and flexible.
- PDO data offered a complementary method for evaluating the structure, process, and outcome of care.
Conclusions:
- The revised audit approach provides a more holistic evaluation of obstetric anaesthetic care quality.
- Integrating PDOs enhances the comprehensive nature of QA programs.
- This methodology facilitates both internal and external departmental evaluations.