A mixed method analysis of patients' complaints: Underpinnings of theory-guided strategies to improve quality of care

Purpose:Patients'complaints can be predictors of patient care quality and safety.Understanding patients'complaints could help healthcare organizations target the areas for improvements.The purpose of this study is to use a mixed method analysis to a)examine the characteristics and categories of patients'complaints,b)explore the relationships of patients'complaints with professions and units,and c)propose theory-based strategies to improve care quality.Methods:This is a descriptive mixed method study.Data examined are patients'complaints filed at a university-affiliated hospital in China from January 2016 to December 2017.A qualitative content analysis was conducted to categorize complaints.A TwoStep cluster analysis was performed to provide an overall profile of patients'complaints.Chi-Square tests were conducted to investigate the relationships among complaints,professions,and units.Results:838 complaints were filed,with 821 valid cases for analysis.Six categories surfaced from the qualitative analysis:uncaring attitudes,unsatisfactory quality of treatment or competence,communication problems,the process of care,fees and billing issues,and other miscellaneous causes.Physicians received most of the complaints(56.6%).The unit receiving the most complaints were outpatient clinics and medical support units(52.7%).The cluster analysis indicated four distinct clusters.Significant relationships existed between complaints and professions(x2(20)=178.82,P<0.01),and between complaints and units(x2(15)=42.72,P<0.01).Conclusions:Patients'complaints are valuable sources for quality improvements.Healthcare providers should be not only scientifically knowledgeable,but also humanistic caring.Caring-based theories may provide guidance in clinical practice.

Quality of colonoscopy performed by medical or surgical specialists and trainees in five Australian hospitals

BACKGROUND Ensuring colonoscopy procedure quality is vital to the success of screening and surveillance programmes for bowel cancer in Australia. However, the data on the performance of quality metrics, through adequate adenoma detection, bowel preparation, and procedure completion rates, in the Australian public sector is limited. Understanding these can inform quality improvement to further strengthen our capacity for prevention and early detection of colorectal cancer.AIM To determine the quality of colonoscopy in Australian teaching hospitals and their association with proceduralist specialty, trainee involvement, and location.METHODS We retrospectively evaluated 2443 consecutive colonoscopy procedure reports from 1 January to 1 April, 2018 from five public teaching tertiary hospitals in Australia(median 60 years old, 49% male). Data for bowel preparation quality,procedure completion rates, and detection rates of clinically significant adenomas, conventional adenomas, and serrated lesions was collected and compared to national criteria for quality in colonoscopy. Participating hospital, proceduralist specialty, and trainee involvement indicators were used for stratification. Data was analysed using Chi-squared tests of independence, MannWhitney U, One-way ANOVA, and multivariate binary logistic regression.RESULTS Fifty-two point two percent(n = 1276) and 43.3%(n = 1057) were performed by medical and surgical proceduralists respectively, whilst 29.8%(n = 728) involved a trainee. Inadequate bowel preparation affected 7.3% of all procedures. The procedure completion rate was 95.1%, which increased to 97.5% after adjustment for bowel preparation quality. The pooled cancer, adenoma, and serrated lesion detection rates for all five hospitals were 3.5%, 40%, and 5.9% respectively. Assessed hospitals varied significantly by patient age(P < 0.001), work-force composition(P < 0.001), adequacy of bowel preparation(P < 0.001), and adenoma detection rate(P < 0.001). Two hospitals(40%) did not meet all national criteria for quality, due to a procedure completion rate of 94.5% or serrated lesion detection rate of 2.6%. Although lower than the other hospitals, the difference was not significant. Compared with surgical specialists, procedures performed by medical specialists involved older patients [65 years(inter-quartile range, IQR 58-73) vs 64 years(IQR 56-71);P = 0.04] and were associated with a higher adenoma detection rate [odds ratio(OR) 1.53;confidence interval: 1.21-1.94;P < 0.001]. Procedures involving trainee proceduralists were not associated with differences in the detection of cancer, adenoma, or serrated lesions, compared with specialists, or according to their medical or surgical background. On multivariate analysis, cancer detection was positively associated with patient age(OR 1.04;P < 0.001) and negatively associated with medical compared to surgical proceduralists(OR 0.54;P = 0.04). Conventional adenoma detection rates were independently associated with increasing patient age(OR 1.04;P < 0.001), positively associated with medical compared to surgical proceduralists(OR 1.41;P = 0.002) and negatively associated with male gender(OR 0.53;P < 0.001).CONCLUSION Significant differences in the quality of colonoscopy in Australia exist, even when national benchmarks are achieved. The role of possible contributing factors, like procedural specialty and patient gender need further evaluation.

New Screening Approach for Ocular Diseases

Objective: Present a new screening approach for ocular diseases. Method: Transversal, retrospective, single center study that analyzed medical records of patients from a social project on the prevention of blindness and amblyopia, which aimed at: 1) Detect the main ocular disorders such as amblyopia, primary angle-closure suspect (PACS);glaucoma suspect (GS);predisposing retinal detachment lesions (PRDL);age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and diabetic retinopathy (DR);2) Perform cataract diagnosis;3) Provide guidance and treatment for allergic conjunctivitis. 4) Prescribe glasses for children until 14 years of age. Participants were examined by a single specialist, holder of a post-doctoral degree in ophthalmology, with 36 years of experience and a sub-specialization in retina and vitreous. All data were analyzed in 2022. Results: The examiner diagnosed 42 cases of PACS, 21 of GS, 8 of PRDL, 14 of AMD, 3 of DR, 40 of cataract and 31 cases of allergic conjunctivitis. Thirty-three participants younger than 14 were prescribed glasses. Other pathologies included retinal detachment, papilledema, corneal ulcer, suspected conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma, retinal vasculitis, strabismus, uveitis, bilateral papilla paleness and lacrimal duct obstruction. Out of the 297 cases examined, 168 participants presented some type of alteration that could compromise their vision. Conclusion: The examiner’s experience and knowledge were decisive factors for the quick diagnosis, advice, screening and/or treatment of several ocular diseases. The social project results reveal that the primary care and/or the screening performed by a specialist are likely to reduce blindness cases.

Role of nurses in improving patient safety: Evidence from surgical complications in 21 countries

Objectives: To analyze the role of nurse staffing in improving patient safety due to reducing surgical complications in member countries of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).Methods: The number of practicing nurses' density per 1000 population and five surgical complications indicators including foreign body left in during procedure (FBL),postoperative pulmonary embolism (PPE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after hip and knee replacement,postoperative sepsis after abdominal surgery (PSA) and postoperative wound dehiscence (PWD) were collected in crude rates per 100,000 hospital discharges for age group of 15 years old and over within 30 days after surgery based on surgical admission-related and all admission-related methods.The observations of 21 OECD countries were collected from OECD Health Statistics during 2010-2015 period.The statistical technique of panel data analysis including unit root test,co-integration test and dynamic long-run analysis were used to estimate the possible relationship between our panel series.Results: There were significant relationships from nurse-staffing level to reducing FBL,PPE,DVT,PSA and PWD with long-run magnitudes of-2.91,-1.30,-1.69,-2.81 and-1.12 based on surgical admission method as well as-6.12,-14.57,-7.29,-1.41 and-0.88 based on all admission method,respectively.Conclusions: A higher proportion of nurses is associated with higher patient safety resulting from lower surgical complications and adverse clinical outcomes in OECD countries.Hence,we alert policy makers about the risk of underestimating the impact of nurses on improving patient safety as well as the quality of health care services in OECD countries.

Differences in parents of pediatric liver transplantation and chronic liver disease patients

BACKGROUND With advancements in the treatment of chronic liver disease(CLD),including liver transplantation(LT),quality of life and satisfaction after LT have become an important issue for pediatric patients and their parents.More evidence-based information is needed to describe and assess the impact of pediatric CLD on parents and the satisfaction of parents with treatment to better understand their needs.AIM To assess the satisfaction of parents of pediatric LT patients and that of parents of pediatric CLD patients METHODS During this survey,data were collected from parents of pediatric patients who underwent LT between January 2010 and April 2017(LT group;n=91)and parents of pediatric patients with chronic liver disease(CLD group;n=94).Group comparisons were made based on the pediatric health-related quality of life(PedsQL)health care parent satisfaction scale,impact on family scale(IFS)and demographic characteristics.The PedsQL was administered to parents during a phone interview and the results were used to assess the health carerelated satisfaction of parents.The IFS was used to assess the impact of the child’s CLD status on the family.Demographic variables such as education level(elementary vs middle vs high vs university),monthly income(low vs middle vs high),and place of residence(village vs town vs city)were compared between CLD and LT parent groups.Finally,PedsQL and IFS results were also analyzed according to demographic variables.RESULTS A total of 185 parents aged 19 to 65 years were included.There were statistically significant differences between the LT and CLD groups in terms of career(P<0.001),monthly income(P=0.016),and education level(P=0.041).According to the PedsQL results,family inclusion,communication,technical skills,emotional needs,and overall satisfaction were significantly different between the groups;the LT group had consistently higher scores(P<0.001).Additionally,scores for the IFS parameters of financial impact,familial-social impact,personal strain,and total impact were consistently higher for the LT group(P<0.001).There were statistically significant relationships between education level,monthly income,and place of residence according to the IFS results but not the PedsQL results.There were inverse relationships between the difficulties that parents experience because of their child’s health and education levels,monthly income,and place of residence.However,no relationship was found between education level,monthly income,or place of residence and satisfaction with health care services provided in the hospital according to the PedsQL results.CONCLUSION Parents of children who underwent LT were very satisfied with the health care services provided to their children.However,they had more difficulties than parents of children with CLD.

Nurse staffing and life expectancy at birth and at 65 years old:Evidence from 35 OECD countries

Objective: To measure the possible magnitude of the role nurse staffing has on increasing life expectancy at birth and at 65 years old.Methods: The statistical technique of panel data analysis was applied to investigate the relationship from the number of practicing nurses' density per 1000 population to life expectancy at birth and at 65 years old.Five control variables were used as the proxies for the levels of medical staffing,health care financial and physical resources,and medical technology.The observations of 35 member countries of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) were collected from OECD Health Statistics over 2000-2016 period.Results: There were meaningful relationships from nurse staffing to life expectancy at birth and at 65 years with the long-run elasticities of 0.02 and 0.08,respectively.Overall,the role of nursing characteristics in increasing life expectancy indicators varied among different health care systems of OECD countries and in average were determined at the highest level in Japan (0.25),followed by Iceland (0.24),Belgium (0.21),Czech Republic (0.21),Slovenia (0.20) and Sweden (0.18).Conclusion: A higher proportion of nursing staff is associated with higher life expectancy in OECD countries and the dependency of life expectancy to nursing staff would increase by aging.Hence,the findings of this study warn health policy makers about ignoring the effects nursing shortages create e.g.increasing the risk of actual age-specific mortality,especially in care of elderly people.

Importance-performance analysis: Revisiting a tool for the evaluation of clinical services

The importance-performance analysis method (IPA) is used in market research in order to measure the level of customer satisfaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate and highlight the use of IPA as a management tool to measure quality of dental services. We suggest that this method can be easily implemented in a dental educational setting, as a performance outcome measure that includes patient input. The study was conducted in a dental service through a valid questionnaire, SERVQUAL. This instrument explores levels of service quality perceived by patients. It was conducted in four companies in Brazil in 2011 (derived from different industry segments;two from textiles, one from hospital care and the other from the manufacturing industry) in two States (S?o Paulo and Minas Gerais). These companies were covered by the same dental managed care organization which contracted with independent dentists to provide care. The study was divided into two stages: the first, in which beneficiaries answered the questionnaire prior to receiving dental treatment, and the second when the same beneficiaries answered after completing their dental treatment. Data obtained from SERVQUAL generated graphs that were used to characterize the IPA matrix using several dimensions of care. The Assurance Dimension had the highest average in both expectation and perception. The Reliability dimension showed the value of the most negative GAP among the dimensions, and the best value occurred in the Responsiveness dimension. The IPA tool may be effective in Dental Medicine since it highlights the key points to be improved in the delivery of dental services in a clinical setting.

Assessment of the early effectiveness of a stroke unit in comparison to the general ward

Background Stroke unit is the most effective treatment method to benefit stroke patients. Our study is to evaluate the early effectiveness of a hospital stroke unit (SU). Methods Three hundred and ninety-two patients who had suffered from acute strokes and who were admitted to our hospital between December 2001 and January 2003 were recruited for this controlled study. All patients were sent at random to either the SU or the general ward (GW) for treatment. The following indices were measured by: Barthel Index (BI),National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS),Oxford Handicap Scale (OHS). Results The mean change in BI score between the day of admission and the day of discharge was 20.00±24.36 for the SU group and 10.63±23.59 for the GW group. A difference that is statistically significant ( P =0.000). The mean change in NIHSS score was -2.01±6.61 for the SU group and 0.55±7.44 for the GW group. A difference that is also statistically significant ( P =0.000). Finally,the mean change in OHS score was -0.74±1.04 for the SU group and -0.28±0.98 for the GW group,also a statistically significant difference ( P =0.000). Among SU patients,patient satisfaction was higher ( P =0.000),the rehabilitation success rate was higher ( P =0.000),and there were fewer complications ( P =0.000).Conclusion Compared to GW patients,stroke patients treated in a special SU were able to return to normal daily activities earlier,with better social abilities,and have reduced neurological defects,without increasing the overall economic burden.

Safety and feasibility of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal and gastric cancer under the Chinese multi-site practice policy:admittance standards of competence are needed

Background:The multi-site practice(MSP)policy has been practiced in China over 10 years.This study aimed to investigate the safety and feasibility of performing laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer(LSCRC)and gastric cancer(LSGC)under the Chinese MSP policy.Methods:We collected and analysed the data from 1,081 patients who underwent LSCRC or LSGC performed by one gastrointestinal surgeon in his original hospital(n=573)and his MSP institutions(n=508)between January 2017 and December 2020.Baseline demographics,intraoperative outcomes,post-operative recovery,and pathological results were compared between the original hospital and MSP institutions,as well as between MSP institutions with and without specific competence(surgical skill,operative instrument,perioperative multi-discipline team).Results:In our study,690 patients underwent LSCRC and 391 patients underwent LSGC.The prevalence of post-operative complications was comparable for LSCRC(11.5%vs 11.1%,P=0.89)or LSGC(15.2%vs 12.6%,P=0.46)between the original hospital and MSP institutions.However,patients in MSP institutions without qualified surgical assistant(s)and adequate instruments experienced longer operative time and greater intraoperative blood loss.The proportion of patients with inadequate lymph-node yield was significantly higher in MSP institutions than in the original hospital for both LSCRC(11.5%vs 21.2%,P<0.01)and LSGC(9.8%vs 20.5%,P<0.01).Conclusion:For an experienced gastrointestinal surgeon,performing LSCRC and LSGC outside his original hospital under the MSP policy is safe and feasible,but relies on the precondition that the MSP institutions are equipped with qualified surgical skills,adequate operative instruments,and complete perioperative management.