Construction of Quality Evaluation Index System for Surgical Positioning: A Delphi Method

Area of Science:

• Medical quality management
• Surgical safety
• Operating room standards

Background:

• Surgical patient positioning is critical for operative success and patient safety.
• Standardized quality indicators for surgical positioning are lacking in Chinese operating rooms.
• Developing robust evaluation metrics is essential for improving surgical care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a comprehensive set of scientific and practical surgical positioning quality evaluation indicators.
• To provide a standardized framework for assessing operating room positioning practices in China.
• To enhance surgical safety and patient outcomes through improved positioning quality.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach combining literature review and expert consultations.
• Delphi surveys were employed to gather and refine expert opinions on potential indicators.
• Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to determine the weight coefficients of indicators.

Main Results:

• High response rates (82.61%, 73.91%) and strong expert authority (0.94, 0.92) were achieved.
• Significant consensus (Kendall W p < 0.001) was reached on key indicators.
• A final set of 3 primary, 7 secondary, and 19 tertiary indicators was established.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully developed a validated set of surgical positioning quality evaluation indicators.
• These indicators provide a scientific and practical tool for quality assessment in Chinese operating rooms.
• Implementation of these indicators is expected to contribute to enhanced patient safety and surgical care quality.