Contextual Factors Associated With Quality Improvement Success in a Multisite Ambulatory Setting

Barriers and facilitators to health professionals' engagement in quality improvement initiatives: a mixed-methods systematic review

Quality improvement (QI) initiatives in healthcare are crucial for enhancing service quality and healthcare outcomes. The success of these initiatives depends on the active engagement of healthcare professionals, which can be influenced by several factors within the healthcare system. This systematic review synthesized the factors influencing healthcare professionals' engagement in QI projects, focusing on identifying both barriers and facilitators. A mixed methods systematic review (MMSR) was conducted using the JBI methodology for MMSR. Databases such as MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, and Embase were searched for studies that explored barriers and facilitators to QI engagement of health professionals in the clinical setting. Methodological quality was assessed using the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The extracted data were synthesized using the JBI convergent integrated approach to MMSR. Eighteen studies (seven qualitative, nine quantitative, and two mixed-methods) published between 2007 and 2023 were included in the review. The analysis revealed barriers and facilitators to engagement in QI initiatives at different levels of the health system. At the QI program level, the engagement of health professionals to QI was influenced by the approach to QI, evidence underpinning the QI initiative, QI knowledge and training, and access to QI specialists. At the health professional level, barriers and facilitators were related to their organizational role, motivation, perceptions about QI, and collaborations with individuals and groups. At the organizational level, factors related to culture and climate, leadership, available resources (including human resource and workload, infrastructure, and incentives), and institutional priorities influenced health professionals' participation in QI. This review highlights the complex interplay of organizational, individual, and QI program level factors that influence the engagement of healthcare professionals in QI. Overcoming these complex barriers and leveraging facilitators is crucial for enhancing participation in QI efforts. The findings underscore the need for a multi-level strategy that focuses on creating a conducive organizational culture, providing robust leadership, and ensuring adequate resources and training for healthcare professionals. Such strategies hold the potential to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of QI initiatives in healthcare settings.

Readiness for Integrated Care of Older People: A Cross-Sectional Study in Mexico

AIM

To evaluate the readiness of the Mexican healthcare system to implement the integrated care for older people (ICOPE) approach into an existing healthcare model.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study with data from 2473 healthcare workers analyzed using the model for understanding success in quality (MUSIQ) framework to gather data from healthcare professionals. Their perceptions regarding the readiness for ICOPE were assessed across five dimensions: team, microsystem, infrastructure, organization, and external environment.

RESULTS

Only 717 (29%) of the participants believed ICOPE could be successfully implemented in Mexico without any modifications. A total of 1261 (51%) participants rated the readiness of ICOPE with some barriers. The main barriers were reallocating resources and the external environment.

OBSERVATION

Mexico's healthcare system faces barriers to innovation that could hinder the successful integration of the ICOPE approach. A systematic identification of these barriers provides an opportunity to suggest adaptations and refinements to increase the probability of success. Using the contextual factors identified as facilitators and the proposal of interventions such as the ICOPE app could improve the chances of success.

CONCLUSION

The participants of this study evaluated ICOPE as ready to implement, with some contextual barriers. The readiness evaluation supports the stakeholders' and policymakers' decisions in implementing and monitoring the program in a natural setting. Evaluating the readiness of the intervention increases the possibility of aligning the innovation with contextual factors, increasing the chances of its successful adoption and implementation.