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Measuring and benchmarking the quality of two different organizational ways in delivering infant vaccination
M Maurici1, L Paulon2, C Carlino3
1Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Specialization School in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy;; Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Laboratory SOS-NHS, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy;
Insights
This study evaluated infant vaccination service quality in Italy, finding walk-in (VACP) services scored higher (78.03%) than appointment-based (VACL) services (69.67%). Results offer practical improvements for vaccination delivery.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Healthcare Management
- Service Quality Assessment
Background:
- Evaluating healthcare service delivery is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes and resource allocation.
- Infant vaccination programs require efficient and high-quality service models to ensure high coverage rates.
- Understanding patient and provider perspectives is key to identifying service delivery gaps.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the quality of service for infant vaccinations delivered via walk-in (VACP) versus appointment-based (VACL) systems.
- To assess communicational efficiency, organizational efficiency, and comfort in vaccination centers.
- To develop a quality scorecard and benchmarking approach for vaccination services.
Main Methods:
- Investigated eleven vaccination centers across two Local Health Units (ASLs) in the Lazio Region, Italy.
- Collected subjective data from stakeholders and objective data through performance observations.
- Utilized a virtual expert (patients, doctors, nurses) to derive quality scores.
- Applied the QuaVaTAR approach for quality assessment and improvement recommendations.
Main Results:
- Vaccination centers operating without an appointment (VACP) achieved a quality score of 78.03%.
- Vaccination centers requiring appointments (VACL) achieved a quality score of 69.67%.
- The study identified practical strategies for improving current service delivery in both VACP and VACL models.
Conclusions:
- The VACP model demonstrated superior service quality compared to the VACL model for infant vaccinations.
- The QuaVaTAR approach provides an intuitive method for improving vaccination service quality.
- Findings offer actionable insights for regional health services to enhance pediatric vaccination delivery.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was the quality of service evaluation of two different organizational ways in delivering infant vaccination according to a Regional Vaccination Plan. Eleven vaccination centres were selected in two Local Health Units (ASLs) belonging to the Regional Health Service of the Lazio Region, Italy. The services offering paediatric vaccinations for children under three years of age, delivered without an appointment (VACP) or with the need for an appointment (VACL), were investigated. The quality aspects under evaluation were communicational efficiency, organisational efficiency and comfort. Subjective data were collected from different stakeholders and involve the elicitation of best and worst feasible performance conditions for the ASLs when delivering VACP/VACL services. Objective data consists in the observation of current performances of the selected vaccination centres. Quality scorecards were obtained from the combination of all data. Benchmarking between VACP and VACL, i.e., two different organisational ways in delivering infant vaccination, can be performed as a result of the probabilistic meaning of the evaluated scores. An expert of vaccination services, i.e., a virtual combination of patients, doctors and nurses, claims the quality of service delivery of the ASLs under investigation with probability 78.03% and 69.67% for VACP and VACL, respectively. In other words, for short, the quality scores of the ASLs were 78.03% for VACP and 69.67% for VACL. Furthermore our results show how to practically improve the current service delivery. The QuaVaTAR approach can result in improvements of the quality of the ASLs for the two different ways of delivering paediatric vaccinations in a simple and intuitive way.
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