International journal for quality in health care : journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care
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Int J Qual Health Care · Jun 2012
Finding the right indicators for assessing quality midwifery care.
To identify a set of indicators for monitoring the quality of maternity care for low-risk women provided by primary care midwives and general practitioners (GPs) in the Netherlands. ⋯ We identified a set of quality indicators concerning midwifery care provision in a low-risk population. Practicing maternity care providers adopted the large majority (83%) of the draft indicators proposed as a feasible set of indicators, describing the structure, process and outcome. The input from multidisciplinary experts in the process of identifying the right indicators showed to be essential in all phases of development.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Jun 2012
Multicenter StudyWhat constitutes patient safety culture in Chinese hospitals?
To develop a patient safety culture instrument for use in Chinese hospitals, we assessed the appropriateness of existing safety culture questionnaires used in the USA and Japan for Chinese respondents and identified new items and domains suitable to Chinese hospitals. ⋯ Focus group participants provided important insights into the refinement of existing items and the construction of new items for measuring patient safety culture in Chinese hospitals. This is a necessary first step in producing a culturally appropriate instrument applicable to specific local contexts.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Jun 2012
New paradigms for measuring clinical performance using electronic health records.
Measures of provider success are the centerpiece of quality improvement and pay-for-performance programs around the globe. In most nations, these measures are derived from administrative records, paper charts and consumer surveys; increasingly, electronic patient record systems are also being used. We use the term 'e-QMs' to describe quality measures that are based on data found within electronic health records and other related health information technology (HIT). We offer a framework or typology for e-QMs and describe opportunities and impediments associated with the transition from old to new ⋯ If public and private systems of care are to effectively use HIT to support and evaluate health-care system quality and safety, the quality measurement field must embrace new paradigms and strategically address a series of technical, conceptual and practical challenges.
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Int J Qual Health Care · Jun 2012
Patient safety and medical errors: knowledge, attitudes and behavior among Italian hospital physicians.
To investigate physicians' knowledge about evidence-based patient safety practices, their attitudes on preventing and managing medical errors and to explore physicians' behavior when facing medical errors. ⋯ The results from our study highlight that greater efforts are needed to facilitate the translation of positive attitudes towards patient safety into appropriate practices that have proven to be effective in the reduction of medical errors.