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Claessens F, Seys D, Van der Auwera C, Castro EM, Jans A, Schoenmakers B, De Ridder D, Bruyneel L, Van Wilder A, Vanhaecht K. The FlaQuM-Quickscan: A starting point to include primary care professionals' perspectives in the evaluation of hospital quality priorities. J Healthc Qual Res 2024; 39:89-99. [PMID: 38195377 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhqr.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Today, primary care professionals' (PCPs) perspectives on hospital quality are unknown when evaluating hospital quality priorities. The aims of the present study were to identify key healthcare quality attributes from PCPs' perspective, to validate an instrument that measures PCPs' experiences of healthcare quality multidimensionally and to define hospital quality priorities based on PCPs' experiences. MATERIAL AND METHODS Focus groups with PCPs were conducted to identify quality attributes through a qualitative in-depth analysis. A multicentre study of 18 hospitals was used to quantitatively assess construct, discriminant and criterion validity of the FlaQuM-Quickscan, an instrument that measures 'Healthcare quality for patients and kin' (part 1) and 'Healthcare quality for professionals' (part 2). To set quality priorities, scores on quality domains were analyzed descriptively and between-hospital variation was examined by evaluating differences in hospitals' mean scores on the quality domains using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). RESULTS Identified key attributes largely corresponded with Lachman's multidimensional quality model. Including 'Communication' as a new quality domain was recommended. The FlaQuM-Quickscan was completed by 550 PCPs. Confirmatory factor analyses showed reasonable to good fit, except for the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) in part 2. The 'Equity' domain scored the highest in parts 1 and 2. Domains 'Kin-centred care' and 'Accessibility and timeliness' scored the lowest in part 1 and 'Resilience' and 'Partnership and co-production' in part 2. Significant variation in hospitals' mean scores was observed for eleven domains in part 1 and sixteen domains in part 2. CONCLUSIONS The results gained a better understanding of PCPs' perspective on quality. The FlaQuM-Quickscan is a valid instrument to measure PCPs' experiences of hospital quality. Identified priorities indicate that hospital management should focus on multifaceted quality strategies, including technical domains, person-and kin-centredness, core values and catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Claessens
- Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - D Seys
- Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - C Van der Auwera
- Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - E M Castro
- Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Quality Management, Regionaal Ziekenhuis Heilig Hart Tienen, Tienen, Belgium
| | - A Jans
- Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Quality Management, Sint-Trudo Ziekenhuis, Sint-Truiden, Belgium
| | - B Schoenmakers
- Academic Center for General Practice, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - D De Ridder
- Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Quality Management, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - L Bruyneel
- Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - A Van Wilder
- Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - K Vanhaecht
- Leuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Quality Management, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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