Consensus-based quality standards for emergency departments in Palestine

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Emergency departments (EDs) in Palestine require standardized quality measures to ensure effective patient care.
• Previous assessments of ED quality in the region were limited, necessitating the development of context-specific standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish appropriate and consensus-based quality standards for emergency departments (EDQS) in Palestine.
• To create a framework for assessing and improving emergency care services within the Palestinian healthcare system.

Main Methods:

• A four-phase methodology was employed, beginning with a literature review to develop an initial framework.
• Expert feedback was iteratively gathered and analyzed through a multi-phase consensus process involving local emergency care professionals.
• Standards were categorized into clinical and administrative pathways, covering domains such as triage, treatment, documentation, and resource management.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive set of quality standards for EDs was developed, encompassing both clinical and administrative aspects.
• The clinical pathway includes 39 standards across 7 subdomains, with 87.5% achieving expert consensus.
• The administrative pathway comprises 64 consensus-based standards across 9 subdomains, addressing critical areas like staffing, equipment, and patient safety.

Conclusions:

• The developed EDQS provide a rigorous, consensus-based framework for enhancing emergency care quality in Palestine.
• The multiphase consensus process ensured the relevance and appropriateness of the standards.
• These EDQS have the potential to serve as a model for improving emergency services in similar healthcare settings globally.