Using DEMATEL – Analytic network process (ANP) hybrid algorithm approach for selecting improvement projects of Iranian excellence model in healthcare sector

Abstract

Quality is the most vital factor for growth and survival of organizations and healthcare organizations, are not exceptional from this rule. There have been several models presented for deployment and assessment of quality management which much more attention is paid to organization excellence models due to their being total and complete. The European foundation for quality management (EFQM) excellence model can be used for continuous improvement of activities and performance of organizations from both private and public sector by establishing a total quality management (TQM) philosophy. Iran national productivity and excellence award in collaboration with Azad University – Science and Research campus and ministry of health, treatment and medical training, designed a model for healthcare organizations and this model was used in 23 hospitals. While using the model, hospitals noticed a large number of areas for improvement, and in order to grow they had to cover them by implementing improvement projects. (However) it was (impossible) to implement the entire project simultaneously and they needed to prioritize and chose the most effective ones. In this article based on experienced gained in hospitals, we could draw the causal relations between nine areas of healthcare organization excellence model using decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) mathematical model and determine their effects on each other. Then based on these causal relations, we ranked the improvement projects using the Analytic Network Process (ANP) model. Project number nine “leadership development and succession planning” got the highest score, and it is the most appropriate choice. Key words: European foundation for quality management (EFQM), decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), analytic network process (ANP), Health Sector.