Patient Involvement in Medical Service Quality Improvement: A Systematic Review

Patient involvement in the medical service quality improvement (QI) has received increasing attention. Growing evidence show that it is important for the effect of treatment, safety of patients, and the sustainable development of medical service. However, there is less systematic review to comprehensively analyze this topic.

A systematic search was conducted in Web of Science, PubMed and Science Direct for studies that assessed the perceptions and experiences of patient involvement in medical service QI. Data extraction was developed based on the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI) data extraction tool.

Total of 77152 studies were identified, of which 19 met the inclusion criteria. Methods for patient involvement were identified, namely questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, key information interviews, observation and so on. Furthermore, the influencing factors of patient involvement have been identified, including organizational structure and culture, communication, a clearly defined role, outside support and other factors.

This study contributes to the understanding of the methods and influencing factors of patient involvement in medical service QI. We propose a five-step process for patient involvement in medical service QI, which provides reference process and articulate guidance for medical service organizations on managing patient involvement in their QI efforts.