scholarly journals Waiting times in cardiology and quality of care: analysis of performances in an Italian hospital

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
E Olivero ◽  
F Bert ◽  
C Corezzi ◽  
P Rossello ◽  
P Alaria ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The identification of diseases in an early stage is essential to improve prognosis and survival of patients. Consequently, waiting times for cardiological performances are widely recognized in Europe as evaluation items for healthcare quality. Our study aims to analyse waiting times of the main procedures in the cardiology ward of a huge hospital of Northern Italy and to compare them with the regional benchmark. Methods Data of the cardiology ward of “Molinette” hospital (Turin, Italy) about the waiting times for clinical procedures in the period 2016-2017 were collected. In particular, we gathered number of health care services and mean waiting times (MWT) for “Echocardiography” (EC), “First Cardiological Visit” (FCV), “Holter ECG” (HECG), “Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty performed within 2 days for people with myocardial infarction” (PTCA). We compared then our results with the benchmarks identified by the regional law. Results In the period considered, in “Molinette” hospital 11,565 ECs were performed, with a MWT of 31 days in 2016 and 16 days in 2017, well below the benchmark (40 days). The total number of FCVs was 5,156 with a MWT of 18 and 13 days in 2016 and 2017 respectively, again under the benchmark (30 days). The HECGs were 3,805, with a MWT of 53 (2016) and 32 (2017) days (benchmark 40 days). PTCAs performed within 2 days (benchmark 85%) were 160 (77.7%) in 2016 and 138 (85.2%) in 2017. Discussion In 2017, the waiting times of “Molinette” hospital were inferior to the regional benchmarks, for all the cardiological procedures considered. Shorter MWTs allow a more rapid planning of further diagnostic tests and treatments and, therefore, a consequent better quality of care. It’s important for European hospitals to assess and compare these indicators in order to guarantee a fast and appropriate care to their patients. Key messages Waiting times are an indicator of early diagnosis and treatment and are useful to assess the quickness and quality of health care provided in European hospitals. Cardiological procedures in “Molinette” hospital of Turin are provided with waiting times shorter than benchmarks. It would be interesting to compare these results with other big European hospitals.

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 103 (Supplement_E1) ◽  
pp. 248-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne G. Castles ◽  
Arnold Milstein ◽  
Cheryl L. Damberg

Large employers have become increasingly involved in helping to set the agenda for quality measurement and improvement. Moreover, they are beginning to hold health care organizations accountable for their performance through marketplace incentives, including the public reporting of comparative quality data and the linkage of reimbursement to performance on quality measures. The Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) is an employer coalition that has been prominent in establishing models for collaborative quality measurement and improvement in the California marketplace. PBGH's involvement in quality stems from an environment in which purchasers were faced with high health care costs, yet virtually no information with which to assess the value their employees received from that care. Research indicating widespread variation in performance across health care organizations and seemingly limited oversight for quality of care within the industry has further motivated purchasers' efforts to better understand the quality of care being delivered to their em-ployees. Using the purchasing power of employers representing 2.5-million covered lives, PBGH endeavors to encourage the transition of the health care marketplace from one that competes solely on price to one that competes on price and quality. This entails collaborating with the health care industry to develop and publicly report valid performance data for use by both large employers and consumers of health care services. It also includes communicating to the marketplace purchasers' commitment to making purchasing decisions based on quality as well as cost. PBGH efforts to measure, report, and improve quality have been demonstrated by several undertakings in the perinatal care arena, including research to assess cesarean section rates and newborn readmission rates across California hospitals. employer coalition, purchaser, quality measurement, quality improvement, report cards, perinatal quality of care.


Author(s):  
Hyacinthe Zamané ◽  
Sibraogo Kiemtoré ◽  
Paul Dantola Kain ◽  
Lydie Zounogo Ouédraogo ◽  
Blandine Bonané Thiéba

Background: The quality of care perceived by the users of health care services is an important indicator of the quality of care. The aim of this study was to assess the satisfaction of patients received in obstetric and gynecological emergencies department of Yalgado Ouedraogo Teaching Hospital before and after the introduction of free care.Methods: This was a cross-sectional investigation. Data collection was carried out from February to July 2016, covering the last three months before the start of free care and the first three months of implementation of this free policy in Burkina Faso.Results: A total of 620 patients formed the sample. The reception (p=0.0001), the waiting period (p=0.0001), respect for treatment schedules (p=0.0001), respect for intimacy (p=0.0001), communication between providers and patients (p=0.007), the comfort of the delivery room (p=0.003) and the comfort of the ward room (p=0.002) were more favorably appreciated by patients before the free treatment than during that period. Overall patient satisfaction was better before the effectiveness of free care (p=0.003).Conclusions: The realization of free care process was followed by a lower patient’s satisfaction reflecting an alteration in the quality of health care services. A situational analysis of this free health care process is necessary in order to make corrective measures. Also adequate preventive measures should be adopted before any implementation to a larger scale of this free policy.


1970 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Devkota

Background: Ensuring delivery of quality health services in a sustainable and equitable manner is a challenge in Nepal. A host of factors may have impeded the access, quality and utilization of the health services particularly by the marginalized and disadvantaged sections of the population. Review essential health care services (EHCS) provided by the public health facilities, level of progress, effectiveness, sustainability, equity and efficiency, quality of care and inclusion of marginalized and disadvantaged populations in health care servicesMethods: A total of 40 VDCs from 10 districts representing five regions and three eco-zones were covered. Altogether 800 mothers with under two year children, 40 health service providers, 145 key informants and 40 exit clients were interviewed. Forty focused group discussions were also conducted. From each district, health records of one hospital, PHCC, HP, SHP and Ayurvedic health facility each were collected.Results: More than two-third (68.2%) of the mothers received antenatal checks, highest in hills (85%) followed by terai (64.5%) and mountain districts (52.8%).Tetanus vaccine coverage (80.7%) seems higher compared to Nepal Demographic Health Survey 2001 (45%). FP use rate in mountain, hill and terai are 57.6%, 54.1% and 49.7%, higher than in DoHS 2003/2004 statistics, which were 26.8%, 36.4% and 45.3% respectively. Nine out of ten patients visiting the health facilities were outpatients. The coverage of DPT 3, Polio 3, BCG and measles are 92.8%, 93.4%, 95.2% and 90.7% respectively. From the service utilization perspective, disparities in terms of gender, ecological regions, season of the year and health facility were revealed.Conclusion: Health sector services are yet to be made responsive to the ecological and district specific health problems, and be made more inclusive linking with doable safety nets.  Key words: Essential health care services; Effectiveness; Sustainability; Equity and efficiency; Quality of care and inclusion  doi: 10.3126/jnhrc.v6i2.2188Journal of Nepal Health Research Council Vol. 6 No. 2 Issue 13 Oct 2008 Page: 74-83 


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orpa Diana Suek ◽  
Moses Pandin

Integrated Management of Childhood Illness is one of the strategies in health care services for infants and children under five at primary health care facilities. Children with fever in high malaria endemic areas must have a blood test done to check whether the children have malaria or not. IMCI is one of the interventions recommended by WHO to screen and also ensure that children receive proper initial treatment at first-level health facilities. This article aims to discuss the quality of care for children under five with malaria using IMCI approach. This is a systematic review by searching 4 databases including Scopus, Web of Science, SAGE and Proquest. Health care services for children under five with an integrated management of childhood illness are intended to provide immediate and appropriate treatment. The guideline for treating children under five with malaria using IMCI approach is very helpful for nurses both in assessing, classifying, treating/curing and making decisions for pre-referral measures for severe cases. Several factors to support quality of care are trained officers, supervision and procurement of essential medicines, RDT and malaria microscopy. Enforcement of the right diagnosis will improve the quality of life of children and prevent death in children under five. Keywords: IMCI, Malaria, Children under five


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 5-16
Author(s):  
Abdul Kader Mohiuddin

Patient satisfaction is a useful measure for providing quality indicators in health-care services. Concern over the quality of health-care services in Bangladesh has resulted in a loss of faith in health-care providers, low use of public health facilities, and increased outflows of patients from Bangladesh to hospitals abroad. The main barriers to accessing health services are inadequate services and poor quality of existing facilities, shortage of medicine supplies, busyness of doctors due to high patient load, long travel distance to facilities, and long waiting times once facilities were reached, very short consultation time, lack of empathy of the health professionals, their generally callous and casual attitude, aggressive pursuit of monetary gains, poor levels of competence and occasionally, disregard for the suffering that patients endure without being able to voice their concerns. All of these service failures are frequently reported in the print media. Such failures can play a powerful role in shaping patients’ negative attitudes and dissatisfaction with health-care service providers and health-care itself.


Medicina ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daiva Brogienė ◽  
Romualdas Gurevičius

The aim of the study was to assess the inpatients’ opinion on the quality of hospital care based on the factor analysis and to identify the problem-oriented fields in quality of care. Material and methods. A multistage stratified probability sampling was performed in 22 general hospitals in Lithuania. A total of 2060 questionnaires were distributed during November 2006 and February 2007. The response rate was 97.38%; 2006 inpatients responded to the questionnaire; 1917 questionnaires (93.06%) were eligible for analysis. The modified survey instrument of Picker Institute Europe was used for inpatients. The method of survey was follows: each discharged inpatient filled out the questionnaire on the day of his/her discharge. The assessment of quality of care involved such aspects as patients’ communication with medical personnel, organizational issues and coordination of care, patients’ possibility of participation in medical decision-making, physical environment, accessibility to services, and safety of health care. Results. Six dimensions were identified from the factor analysis, explaining 51.48% of the variance. Cronbach alpha was 0.7931 for all dimensions. The majority (91.9%) of respondents evaluated health care services as good and very good. Inpatients were most satisfied with communication with their doctors. Even 91.5% of respondents noted that the doctors provided enough information about their health and treatment. The majority of inpatients gave high positive responses on respect showed to them and confidence with doctors. Correlation analysis confirmed a stronger positive correlation among three items of the global assessment of the quality and patients’ ratings on respect and confidence. Several problems were highlighted in the field of patients’ autonomy. The possibility of participation in medical decision-making was the dimension with the lowest level of patients’ rating. Less than half (42.3%) of inpatients noted that they did not have a possibility of participation in medical decision-making to the extent they were willing. Conclusions. Patients gave highly positive responses on the overall evaluation of the quality of health care services. The priority field in the improvement of health care quality is to create more possibilities for patients’ participation in medical decision-making. Results of the present study indicate that future studies need to include more detailed measurements of patients’ autonomy as dynamic changes are observed today in this field.


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