Attitudes toward quality improvement among healthcare professionals: Lessons from a hospital-wide quality initiative

Identifying nursing research priorities in Vietnam: a modified Delphi study

Objective

There is no single study that has examined nursing research priorities in Vietnam. This study aimed to gain consensus from experts on the nursing research priorities in Vietnam.

Methods

A three-round modified Delphi study was used in this study. A focus group discussion among experts was conducted in round I to identify the nursing research priorities (n=23). Data in round I were analyzed using content analysis. In round II, participants were invited to rate the importance of each nursing priority topic in a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, which had a 74% (n=17) response rate. In round III, the questionnaire was returned to the experts (n=17) until consensus was reached. Data from round II and round III were analyzed to produce mean score and final rank.

Results

The top 12 research priority lists were identified, which included subthemes and areas of possible investigations. All priorities were classified into three groups in the rank order, namely: (i) nursing management and leadership, which included (1) nursing care quality, (2) management and leadership of nurse managers, (3) nursing image, (4) professional nurse competency, and (5) human resource management; (ii) nursing education, which included (1) knowledge-specific domain, (2) the linkage between education and practice, and (3) nurse teacher workforce; and (iii) nursing service, which included (1) adult nursing concern, (2) patient safety, (3) public health nursing concern, and (4) quality of life of patients and nurses.

Conclusions

Consensus among experts was achiever, and the findings are considered as the basis of resources to the most essential research needs in Vietnam.

Evaluating factors affecting patient satisfaction using the Kano model

PURPOSE

Healthcare providers are increasing their focus on patient satisfaction and patient-oriented services as they play a significant role in managing rising costs, elevating service quality and establishing sustainable quality improvement strategies. In recent years, the Kano model has gained popularity in the healthcare industry and has been employed to improve patient satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how the Kano model can be deployed to identify a wide range of complex patient needs and convey its potential usefulness in the continuous improvement of the healthcare sector.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

This paper provides a case study of implementing the Kano model to identify diverse patient needs and aims to eliminate the gaps identified in prior research, which include generically applying the Kano model to all service units of the healthcare system and using a predetermined service quality scale. This study emphasizes the importance of scale development and individual attention to each healthcare service unit in determining intricate patient needs. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Student Health Services (SHS) of Missouri University of Science and Technology where the data were collected using the Kano survey. The respondents included undergraduate and graduate students that have utilized the healthcare services offered. A total of 138 patients were surveyed using a Kano model-based questionnaire that included demographics and treatment as well as service expectations.

FINDINGS

Of the 21 quality attributes evaluated by the patients, 16 were categorized as one-dimensional, 3 as indifferent, and 2 as attractive attributes using the Kano model. None of the quality attributes showed a dominant must-be feature. The students considered the availability of appropriately qualified medical staff within 10 minutes of the check-in process and provision of after-hours care as attractive attributes that create greater satisfaction.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

The research was conducted at a university SHS center. Therefore, respondents in the survey are in a younger age group, which may affect patient expectations. In addition, expectations of an SHS center may be different than expectations of visiting a primary care physician and other healthcare units.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This study contributes to a better understanding of the identification of healthcare needs using the Kano model and advocates focusing on shifts in the categories over time and changes in the demographic environment.