Developing Indicators of Service Quality Provided for CardiovascularPatients Hospitalized in Cardiac Care Unit
Saber Azami-Aghdash1, Samad Ghaffari, Homayoun Sadeghi-Bazargani
1Tabriz Health Services Management Research Center, Faculty of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Insights
This study developed 40 key indicators to assess healthcare quality for cardiovascular patients in Iran's Cardiac Care Units (CCUs). These indicators aim to enhance service quality and inform policy decisions for better patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Quality Assessment
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally and in Iran.
- Evaluating service quality in Cardiac Care Units (CCUs) is crucial for patient care.
- There is a need for specific indicators tailored to the Iranian healthcare context.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine and develop appropriate indicators for evaluating service quality provided to cardiovascular patients admitted to CCUs in Iran.
- To establish a comprehensive set of metrics for quality assessment in critical cardiac care settings.
- To support evidence-based improvements in cardiovascular healthcare delivery.
Main Methods:
- A four-stage methodology was employed, including a systematic literature review, expert interviews, and two rounds of the Delphi technique.
- An expert panel was convened, comprising 27 specialists from various relevant fields.
- Indicators were iteratively refined through literature review, expert consultation, and consensus-building processes.
Main Results:
- An initial review identified 48 potential indicators from 21 articles.
- Following expert input and refinement, 40 final indicators were established for evaluating CCU service quality in Iran.
- The process involved omitting irrelevant indicators and developing new ones to suit local hospital conditions.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully determined a set of valid indicators for assessing service quality in Iranian CCUs.
- These indicators provide a rich informational base for managers, policymakers, and healthcare providers.
- The finalized indicators can guide improvements in healthcare services, decision-making, and policy formulation for cardiovascular patient care.
Introduction:
Cardiovascular diseases are among the most prevalent chronic diseases leading to high degrees of mortality and morbidity worldwide and in Iran. The aim of the current study was to determine and develop appropriate indicators for evaluating provided service quality for cardiovascular patients admitted to Cardiac Care Units (CCU) in Iran.
Methods:
In order to determine the indicators for evaluating provided service quality, a four-stage process including reviewing systematic review articles in premier bibliographic databases, interview, performing two rounds of Delphi technique, and holding experts panel by attendance of experts in different fields was adopted. Finally, after recognizing relevant indicators in resources, these indicators were finalized during various stages using ideas of 27 experts in different fields.
Results:
Among 2800 found articles in the text reviewing phase, 21 articles, which had completely mentioned relevant indicators, were studied and 48 related indicators were extracted. After two interviews with a cardiologist and an epidemiologist, 32 items of the indicators were omitted and replaced by 27 indicators coping with the conditions of Iranian hospitals. Finally, 43 indicators were added into the Delphi phase and after 2 rounds of Delphi with 18 specialists, 7 cases were excluded due to their low scores of applicability. In the experts' panel stage, 6 items were also omitted and 10 new indicators were developed to replace them. Eventually, 40 indicators were finalized.
Conclusion:
In this study, some proper indicators for evaluating provided service quality for CCU admissions in Iran were determined. Considering the informative richness of these indicators, they can be used by managers, policy makers, health service providers, and also insurance agencies in order to improve the quality of services, decisions, and policies.
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