Abstract
Objectives: Two national-level healthcare quality indicator programs (QIP) in Taiwan, the Taiwan Quality Indicator Project (TQIP) and the Taiwan Healthcare Indicator Series (THIS), have been implemented by many healthcare institutes over the last ten years. Although their contributions to quality improvement have been proven, the methods of statistical analysis and reporting indicators have not been satisfactory. The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) was the first in the world to introduce clinical indicators as part of the healthcare accreditation process. The method of analysis and reporting format for the ACHS clinical indicators program (CIP) have been refined in recent years. Applications of the refined program in practices produced a positive impact. This paper introduces ACHS CIP as a source of stimulation to improve Taiwan's quality indicators program in healthcare.
Method: A literature review and consultation with experts were utilized to clarify the data and the evolutionary process.
Results: The evolution of ACHS CIP occurred in four distinct developmental phases: the establishment of clinical indicators, the diversification of clinical indicators, the refinement of the method of analysis, and the redesign of input/output, from the inception of the program in 1989 to the present time. The most important changes in the method of analysis were to use the Gamma- Poisson hierarchical model and the concept of potential gains, and to provide a trend report for the integrated quality assessment. It is beneficial for hospitals to achieve the goal of continuous quality improvement.
Conclusions: Four suggestions are made to the THIS and TQIP based on the ACHS CIP experience. It is hoped that this paper will stimulate a wider discussion of the enhancement in analysis and reporting methods for the Taiwan quality indicators programs. Within the next few years, refinement of the Taiwan QIP could be expected to produce useful, effective and easy to use information for continuous quality improvement.
Method: A literature review and consultation with experts were utilized to clarify the data and the evolutionary process.
Results: The evolution of ACHS CIP occurred in four distinct developmental phases: the establishment of clinical indicators, the diversification of clinical indicators, the refinement of the method of analysis, and the redesign of input/output, from the inception of the program in 1989 to the present time. The most important changes in the method of analysis were to use the Gamma- Poisson hierarchical model and the concept of potential gains, and to provide a trend report for the integrated quality assessment. It is beneficial for hospitals to achieve the goal of continuous quality improvement.
Conclusions: Four suggestions are made to the THIS and TQIP based on the ACHS CIP experience. It is hoped that this paper will stimulate a wider discussion of the enhancement in analysis and reporting methods for the Taiwan quality indicators programs. Within the next few years, refinement of the Taiwan QIP could be expected to produce useful, effective and easy to use information for continuous quality improvement.
| Translated title of the contribution | The ACHS Clinical Indicator Program as a Source of Stimulation for Refinement of the Taiwan Quality Indicator Program in Healthcare |
|---|---|
| Original language | Chinese (Traditional) |
| Pages (from-to) | 62-79 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | 醫務管理期刊 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Clinical indicator
- Hospital Accreditation
- Gamma-Poisson model
- TQIP
- THIS