Abstract
Background:There is increasing awareness of the need to implement quality assurance programs in developing countries. Healthcare staff are the primary drivers of improving the quality of care,but little is known about how they perceive quality assurance programs in resource-limited settings. This study aims to evaluate healthcare workers’ perceptions of the organizational quality assurance program (OQA) at Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC), Cambodia. The OQA involves regular data collection and monitoring of quality indicators, to assess whether agreed quality standards are being met. Methods: This qualitative study consisted of four focus group discussions (FGDs) with 29 hospital staff (convenience sampling) from medical, nursing and non-medical departments. Staff members’ understanding of quality assurance and perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the OQA were explored. Thematic content analysis was used to identify key themes. Results: Participants emphasized that quality indicators must include physical and psychological well-being. Strengths of the OQA included shared understanding amongst all groups of participants of its goals, committed leadership, that it was locally-relevant and that target indicators were developed from a "ground-up" approach. On-going challenges included that there was a gap in understanding of the OQA processes and overall running of the OQA across the organization between managers and staff. Conclusion: The introduction of the OQA at AHC has been well-received by staff members.Overall, the program is perceived to be valuable. Healthcare provision in resource-limited settings increasingly needs to demonstrate quality assurance. The model of OQA developed at AHC is one way to achieve this.
Highlights
Quality assurance is defined as “activities that are carried out to set standards and to maintain and improve performance so that the care provided is as effective and safe as possible.”[1]
Based on the abovementioned background, this study aimed to explore the perceptions of hospital staff on the organizational quality assurance program (OQA) at a Cambodian pediatric hospital
This study explored the perceptions of hospital staff, with regard to strengths and weaknesses of the OQA, and whether staff felt that the OQA appropriately met the needs for quality improvement for the setting
Summary
Quality assurance is defined as “activities that are carried out to set standards and to maintain and improve performance so that the care provided is as effective and safe as possible.”[1]. Much of the evidence in healthcare has come from vertical programs involving single units or specific areas, focusing on targeted outcomes.[3] There is a lack of reported data on the development of healthcare organization-wide quality assurance programs. Data collected on the OQA activities is reported regularly to the hospital data management team They in turn produce reports for the AHC executive committee. OQA: Organizational quality assurance program, AHC: Angkor Hospital for Children. Reports of routine hospital activities and targeted areas discussed with senior management to identify abnormal or worrying trends and action plans devised and carried out OQA: Organizational quality assurance program, AHC: Angkor Hospital for Children, CEO: Chief executive officer
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