scholarly journals Assessing Quality of Healthcare Delivery When Making Choices: National Survey on Health Consumers’ Decision Making Practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-20
Author(s):  
Mark Avery ◽  
Allan Cripps ◽  
Gary D Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Quality Of Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Interpersonal Engagement ◽  
And Performance

Objective: Choices and quality decisions made by consumers in relation to their healthcare have been associated with personal experience of those services, interpersonal engagement and reliance on third-party information, as well as the subsequent satisfaction with the service. The purpose of this research was to understand current information sources, determinants of quality discernment and decision-making factors by consumers in the Australian community in relation to healthcare. Method:  Conventional content analysis research was undertaken in the form of a national telephone survey of 200 consumers. Open-ended questions were used to elicit information from the general community. Results: Reputation and other key interpersonal and structural elements are utilised in determining quality of healthcare services as well as in deployment as key factors in decision-making regarding use of healthcare services. While most respondents valued and used key information about provider relationships, outcomes performance and performance rankings, up to 20% of respondents did not know or could not identify ways in which they would assess and evaluate the quality of healthcare services. Conclusion: This research identifies that consumers use a range of information and advice relating to experience, interpersonal engagement and information from third-party sources. If healthcare providers develop clearer communications around their technical, procedural and conduct principles, consumers will be in a better position to evaluate reputation and make decisions about their healthcare needs and the health system.

scholarly journals Association of patients’ perception of quality of healthcare received and colorectal cancer screening uptake: An analysis of two national surveys in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karan Chawla ◽  
Angesom Kibreab ◽  
Victor & Scott ◽  
Edward L. Lee ◽  
Farshad Aduli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
United States ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Quality Of Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
The United States ◽  
Crc Screening ◽  
Fair Poor ◽  
National Trends

Objective: It is unknown whether patients’ ratings of the quality of healthcare services they receive truly correlate with the quality of care from their providers. Understanding this association can potentiate improvement in healthcare delivery. We evaluated the association between patients’ ratings of the quality of healthcare services received and uptake of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Subject and Methods: We used two iterations of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) of adults in the United States. HINTS 2007 (4,007 respondents; weighted population=75,397,128) evaluated whether respondents were up-to-date with CRC screening while HINTS 4 cycle 3 (1,562 respondents; weighted population=76,628,000) evaluated whether participants had ever received CRC screening in the past. All included respondents from both surveys were at least 50 years of age, had no history of CRC, and had rated the quality of healthcare services that they had received at their healthcare provider’s office in the previous 12 months. Results: HINTS 2007 data showed that respondents who rated their healthcare as good, or fair/poor were significantly less likely to be up to date with CRC screening compared to those who rated their healthcare as excellent. We found comparable results from analysis of HINTS 4 cycle 3 data with poorer uptake of CRC screening as the healthcare quality ratings of respondents’ reduced. Conclusion: Our study suggested that patients who reported receiving lower quality of healthcare services were less likely to have undergone and be compliant with CRC screening recommendations. It is important to pay close attention to patient feedback surveys in order to improve healthcare delivery.

Monitoring Quality in a Federal State with Shared Powers in Healthcare: The Case of Belgium

2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 413-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Fornaciari ◽  
Arthur Vleugels ◽  
Stefaan Callens ◽  
Kristof Eeckloo
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare System ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Quality Of Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Flemish Community ◽  
The Government ◽  
Regulatory Powers ◽  
Monitoring Quality

AbstractThe Belgian healthcare system consists of a complex of more or less autonomous groups of healthcare providers. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that the fundamental right to qualitative healthcare is secured through the services they provide. In Belgium, the regulatory powers in healthcare are divided between the federal state and the three communities. Both levels, within their area of competence, monitor the quality of healthcare services. Unique to the Belgian healthcare system is that the government that providers are accountable to is not always the same as the government that is competent to set the criteria. The goal of this article is to provide an overview of the main mechanisms that are used by the federal government and the government of the Flemish community to monitor healthcare quality in hospitals. The Flemish community is Belgian’s largest community (6.2 million inhabitants). The overview is followed by a critical analysis of the dual system of quality monitoring.

scholarly journals Examining Stakeholder’s Views On Refugee Healthcare Needs, Current Barriers in Accessing Healthcare Services and Future Healthcare Direction in New Zealand: A Qualitative Phenomenological Approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bafreen Sherif ◽  
Ahmed Awaisu ◽  
Nadir Kheir
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Healthcare Needs

Abstract Background The annual New Zealand refugee quota was increased to 1500 places from 2020 onwards as a response to the global refugee crisis. The specific healthcare needs of refugees are not clearly understood globally and communication between healthcare providers and refugees remains poor. Methods A phenomenological qualitative methodology was employed to conduct semi-structured interviews among purposively selected stakeholders who work in refugee organisations and relevant bodies in New Zealand. Results The participants indicated the need for a national framework of inclusion, mandating cultural competency training for frontline healthcare and non-healthcare personnel, creation of a national interpretation phone line, and establishing health navigators. Barriers to accessing health services identified included some social determinants of health such as housing and community environment; health-seeking behaviour and health literacy; and social support networks. Future healthcare delivery should focus on capacity building of existing services, including co-design processes, increased funding for refugee-specific health services, and whole government approach. Conclusion Policymakers and refugee organisations and their frontline personnel should seek to address the deficiencies identified in order to provide equitable, timely and cost-effective healthcare services for refugees in New Zealand.

scholarly journals Perceived Consequences of Healthcare Service Decentralization on Access, Affordability and Quality of Care in Khartoum Locality, Sudan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bandar Noory ◽  
Sara Hassanein ◽  
Jeffrey Edwards ◽  
Benedikte Victoria Lindskog
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Quality Of Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
System Capacity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Catchment Areas ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Decentralization of healthcare services have been widely utilized, especially in developing countries, to improve the performance of healthcare systems by increasing the access and efficiency of service delivery. Experiences have been variable secondary to disparities in financial and human resources, system capacity and community engagement. Sudan is no exception and understanding the perceived effect of decentralization on access, affordability, and quality of care among stakeholders is crucial.Methods: This was a mixed method, cross-sectional, explorative study that involved 418 household members among catchment areas and 40 healthcare providers of Ibrahim Malik Hospital (IBMH) and Khartoum Teaching Hospital (KTH). Data were collected through a structured survey and in-depth interviews from July-December 2015.Results: Access, affordability and quality of healthcare services were all perceived as worse, compared to before decentralization was implemented. Reported affordability was found to be 53% and 55% before decentralization compared to 24% to 16% after decentralization, within KTH and IBMH catchment areas respectively, (p= 0.01). The quality of healthcare services were reported to have declined from 47% and 38% before decentralization to 38% and 28% after, in KTH and IBMH respectively (p=0.02). Accessibility was found to be more limited, with services being accessible before decentralization approximately 59% and 52% of the time, compared to 41% and 30% after, in KTH and IBMH catchment areas respectively, (p=0.01).Accessibility to healthcare was reported to have decreased secondary to facility closures, reverse transference of services, and low capacity of devolved facilities. Lastly, privatized services were reported as strengthened in response to this decentralization of healthcare. Conclusions: The deterioration of access, affordability and quality of health services was experienced as the predominant perception among stakeholders after decentralization implementation. Our study results suggest there is an urgent need for a review of the current healthcare policies, structure and management within Sudan in order to provide evidence and insights regarding the impact of decentralization.

e-Healthcare service quality: consumer satisfaction and its association with demographic characteristics

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 413-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prachi Verma ◽  
Satinder Kumar ◽  
Sanjeev K. Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Quality Of Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interaction Quality ◽  
Quality Dimensions

PurposeUse of technology for quality healthcare services has developed into a new field known as “e-Healthcare services.” Healthcare providers often judge their quality of services with consumer satisfaction. With e-Healthcare services, consumer satisfaction is influenced by the quality of healthcare services provided and the demographic characteristics. The purpose of the present case study is to recognize the important predictors of quality, which are significant for consumer satisfaction with e-Healthcare services by using Zineldin's 5Qs model. It also aims to find the strength of association among the predictors of consumer satisfaction and the demographic characteristics of the respondents.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire-based study was conducted at a public (PGIMER, Chandigarh) and a private hospital (Fortis Hospital, Mohali) of Punjab, India, from February 2018 to March 2019. The structured, closed-ended questionnaire, to be marked on a 1–5 point Likert scale, was adapted from Zineldin's 5Qs model and was distributed to the respondents sitting in the waiting halls of the selected hospitals. The respondents comprised of both the patients and their attendants who were aware of e-Healthcare services and were using them.FindingsThe analysis identified quality of interaction, quality of hospital atmosphere and quality of object to be the key predictors of consumer satisfaction with e-Healthcare services. The results reveal a strong association between different demographic characteristics and overall consumer satisfaction with e-Healthcare services.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that improvements in the quality of interaction, quality of hospital atmosphere and quality of object may result in higher consumer satisfaction with e-Healthcare services. Working on the identified dimensions of quality will help the e-Healthcare providers in identifying functional problems of e-Healthcare services and developing improvement strategies, which will also result in better health and quality outcomes. The results of this study will help the e-Healthcare providers in better segmentation of e-Healthcare consumers based on their demographic characteristics and in developing better marketing strategies.Originality/valueThis paper focuses on the quality of e-Healthcare services only and attempts to identify the quality dimensions, which leads to the satisfaction of e-Healthcare consumers. The identified quality dimensions will help in designing better e-Healthcare services and framing policies. It also highlights the association of demographic characteristics with important quality dimensions.

Demystifying Quality of Healthcare in the Cloud

2014 ◽  
pp. 284-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasius Moumtzoglou
Keyword(s):  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Sharp Increase ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Quality Of Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Treatment Techniques ◽  
New Applications ◽  
Elusive Concept

Healthcare services have experienced a sharp increase in demand while the shortages in licensed healthcare professionals have formed one of the toughest challenges that healthcare providers face. In addition, illness has become more complex while advancement in technology and research have expedited the rise of modern and more effective diagnoses and treatment techniques. Cloud computing allows healthcare professionals to share medical records, including all sorts of image and accuracy while new applications or workloads can be started much faster, without going through the entire procurement process or testing the interoperability of the entire infrastructure. Moreover, although the notion of organizational culture is now routinely invoked in organizations and management literature, it remains an elusive concept. However, it is clear that managing the culture is one path towards improving healthcare, and cloud computing introduces a dynamic system adaptation, affecting the quality of care. This is explored in this chapter.

Quality of Healthcare Services in Rural India: The User Perspective

2011 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
J K Sharma ◽  
Ritu Narang
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Quality Of Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
User Perception ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Life Years ◽  
Physical Access

Developing nations have been focusing on relevant infrastructure, technology, disease control, and health outcomes in terms of deaths and disability-adjusted life years, largely ignoring the service quality aspect from the patient's viewpoint. However, researchers opine that real improvement in quality of care cannot occur if the user perception is not involved. Patients' perception is significant as it impacts their ‘health-seeking behaviour’ including utilization of services, seeks involvement in issues directly related to them, enables the service provider to meet their expectations better, and provides relevant information to the policy makers to improve the quality. Some studies conducted in the recent years have made attempts to develop multi-dimensional scales and measure quality of healthcare services in the developing nations. The current study seeks to assess the perception of patients towards quality of healthcare services in rural areas of seven districts of Uttar Pradesh based on the scale developed by Haddad et al (1988) after making adjustment for Indian culture and language. 500 patients were contacted at the healthcare centres. A response rate of 79.2 per cent was obtained resulting in 396 complete questionnaires. The 23-item scale employed in the study comprised five homogeneous sub-scales and tested well for reliability. The findings illustrated some interesting differences in user perception regarding service quality and how they varied between different healthcare centres and according to the demographic status of patients. It was observed that: ‘Healthcare delivery’ and ‘financial and physical access to care’ significantly impacted the perception among men while among women it was ‘healthcare delivery’ and ‘health personnel conduct and drug availability’. With improved income and education, the expectations of the respondents also increased. It was not merely the financial and physical access that was important but the manner of delivery, the availability of various facilities and the interpersonal and diagnostic aspect of care as well that mattered to the people with enhanced economic earnings. What was most astonishing was the finding that the overall quality of healthcare services is perceived to be higher in Primary Healthcare Centres than in Community Healthcare Centres (CHCs). Inadequate availability of doctors and medical equipments, poor clinical examination and poor quality of drugs were the important drawbacks reported at CHCs. The current study demonstrates that the instrument employed was reliable and possessed the power to discern differences in the opinion of people on the basis of demographic factors and point out the quality differences in different healthcare centres. It could be employed to evaluate healthcare quality perception in other rural and urban regions of the country and to assess the perception of users towards private healthcare centres. Further, research could be conducted on price-quality relationship. The government and policy makers are urged to consider the perceptions of patients as well in order to affect improvement in the quality of services and subsequently increase their utilization.

Government reports versus offenders’ experiences: toward the resolution of discrepancies in healthcare and healthcare delivery

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 225-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pegah Memarpour ◽  
Rose Ricciardelli ◽  
Pauline Maasarjian
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Healthcare Provision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Former Prisoners ◽  
Healthcare Needs

Purpose – Canadian literature on federal correctional institutions and prison living indicate a shortage inadequate and available healthcare services to meet the needs of the prison population, despite prisoners higher rates of health challenges (e.g. mental health, addictions, HIV/AIDS) in comparison to the general population. With fewer resources, concerns arise about the delivery, quantity, and quality of penal healthcare provision. Thus, the authors examines former prisoners’ experiences of, in comparison to government reports on, wait-times, and request processes for healthcare services, as well as issues of access, quality of interactions with healthcare professionals and the regulations and policies governing healthcare provision. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The authors compare data gathered from interviews with 56 former-federal prisoners with publicly available Correctional Services Canada reports on healthcare delivery, staff-prisoner interactions, programmes and services, and overall physical and mental health to identify consistencies and inconsistencies between the government’s and former prisoners’ understandings of penal healthcare. Findings – Discrepancies exist between prisoners reported experiences of healthcare provision and government reports. Prisoners are dissatisfied with healthcare provision in more secure facilities or when they feel their healthcare needs are not met yet become more satisfied in less secure institutions or when their needs are eventually met. Originality/value – Theories of administrative control frame the analyses, including discrepancies between parolee experiences and Correctional Service Canada reports. Policy recommendations to improve healthcare provision are highlighted.

scholarly journals Perspective of asylum-seeking caregivers on the quality of care provided by a Swiss paediatric hospital: a qualitative study

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. e029385
Author(s):  
Julia Brandenberger ◽  
Katrin Sontag ◽  
Cédric Duchêne-Lacroix ◽  
Fabienne Nicole Jaeger ◽  
Bernadette Peterhans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tertiary Care Hospital ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Quality Of Healthcare ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Paediatric Hospital ◽  
Personal Competencies

ObjectivesThis study investigated the perspective of asylum-seeking caregivers on the quality of healthcare delivered to their children in a qualitative in-depth interview study. The health of asylum-seeking children is of key interest for healthcare providers, yet knowledge of the perspective of asylum-seeking caregivers when accessing healthcare is limited.SettingThe study took place in a paediatric tertiary care hospital in Basel, Switzerland.ParticipantsInterviews were done with 13 asylum-seeking caregivers who had presented with their children at the paediatric tertiary care hospital. Nine female and four male caregivers from Tibet, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Albania and Macedonia were included. A diverse sample was chosen regarding cultural and social background, years of residence in Switzerland and reasons for seeking care. A previously developed and pilot-tested interview guide was used for semistructured in-depth interviews between 36 and 92 min in duration. Data analysis and reporting was done according to Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research. The number of interviews was determined by saturation of data.ResultsThe interviewees described a mismatch of personal competencies and external challenges. Communication barriers and unfamiliarity with new health concepts were reported as challenges. These were aggravated by isolation and concerns about their child’s health. The following factors were reported to strongly contribute to satisfaction of healthcare delivery: a respectful and trusting caregiver–provider relationship, the presence of interpreters and immediate availability of treatment.ConclusionsA mismatch of personal competencies and external challenges importantly influences the caregiver–provider relationship. To overcome this mismatch establishment of confidence was identified as a key factor. This can be achieved by availability of interpreter services, sufficient consultation time and transcultural trainings for healthcare workers. Coordination between the family, the government’s asylum system and the medical system is required to facilitate this process.

scholarly journals Patient satisfaction with healthcare services: Bangladesh perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Absul Kader Mohiuddin
Keyword(s):  
Patient Satisfaction ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Quality Of Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
Long Distance

<p>Patient satisfaction is a useful measure for providing a quality benchmark for healthcare services. Concern about the quality of healthcare services in Bangladesh has led to a loss of confidence in healthcare providers, low use of public health facilities and increased outflows of patients from Bangladesh to hospitals abroad. The key obstacles to access to health services are insufficient infrastructure and poor quality of existing facilities, lack of medical equipment, scarcity of doctors due to high patient load, long distance to the facilities and long waiting times until facilities have been reached, very short appointment hours, lack of empathy of 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 reported frequently in the print media. Such failures can play a powerful role in shaping patients’ negative attitudes and dissatisfaction with healthcare service providers and healthcare itself.</p>

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