Construction of nursing-sensitive quality indicators for epilepsy in China: A Delphi consensus study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Epilepsy care quality and safety are critical due to unpredictable seizures.
• Developing standardized quality indicators is essential for consistent and effective patient management.
• Nursing-sensitive quality indicators (NSQIs) are vital for assessing and improving nursing practice in specialized care areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive set of nursing-sensitive quality indicators (NSQIs) for epilepsy care in China.
• To establish a framework for monitoring and enhancing the quality of nursing interventions for epilepsy patients.
• To provide evidence-based tools for improving patient outcomes and safety in epilepsy management.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach combining international literature review, cross-sectional survey, and qualitative study.
• Development of candidate NSQIs through literature review and expert input.
• Two rounds of electronic Delphi studies with 27 independent experts to finalize the NSQIs for epilepsy care.

Main Results:

• Thirty-nine candidate NSQIs were identified for the Delphi process, with high expert consensus and authority.
• The final set includes 8 structure, 9 process, and 7 outcome indicators across three domains: nursing resources, care implementation, and patient outcomes.
• High recovery rates (92.6% and 96.2%) and expert authority coefficients (0.876 and 0.878) indicate robust consensus.

Conclusions:

• The developed NSQIs offer a foundational framework for quality assessment and improvement in Chinese epilepsy nursing care.
• These indicators are crucial for monitoring nursing resource allocation, care implementation, and patient outcomes.
• Further clinical validation is required to confirm the impact of these NSQIs on epilepsy care quality and patient outcomes.