Assessing Patient Experience and Attitude: BSC-PATIENT Development, Translation, and Psychometric Evaluation-A Cross-Sectional Study

Engaging physicians and nurses in balanced scorecard evaluation-An implication at Palestinian hospitals and recommendations for policy makers

Introduction

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are seldom involved in balanced scorecard (BSC) deployments. This study aims to incorporate Palestinian HCWs in the BSC to create health policy recommendations and action plans using BSC-HCW1, a survey designed and validated based on BSC dimensions.

Methodology

In this cross-sectional study, the BSC-HCW1 survey was delivered to HCWs in 14 hospitals from January to October 2021 to get them involved in PE. The differences between physicians' and nurses' evaluations were assessed by the Mann-Whitney U-test. The causal relationships between factors were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The multicollinearity of the model was checked. Path analysis was performed to understand the BSC strategic maps based on the Palestinian HCWs' evaluations.

Results

Out of 800 surveys, 454 (57%) were retrieved. No evaluation differences between physicians and nurses were found. The BSC-HCW1 model explains 22-35% of HCW loyalty attitudes, managerial trust, and perceived patient trust and respect. HCWs' workload time-life balance, quality and development initiatives, and managerial performance evaluation have a direct effect on improving HCWs' loyalty attitudes (β = 0.272, P < 0.001; β = 0.231, P < 0.001; β = 0.199, P < 0.001, respectively). HCWs' engagement, managerial performance evaluation, and loyalty attitudes have a direct effect on enhancing HCWs' respect toward managers (β = 0.260, P < 0.001; β = 0.191, P = 0.001; β = 0.135, P = 0.010, respectively). Quality and development initiatives, HCWs' loyalty attitudes, and workload time-life balance had a direct effect on improving perceived patient respect toward HCWs (β = 254, P < 0.001; β = 0.137, P = 0.006, β = 0.137, P = 0.006, respectively).

Conclusion

This research shows that it is important to improve low-performing indicators, such as the duration of time HCWs spend with patients, their knowledge of medications and diseases, the quality of hospital equipment and maintenance, and the inclusion of strengths and weaknesses in HCWs' evaluations, so that HCWs are more loyal and less likely to want to leave. For Palestinian hospital managers to be respected more, they must include HCWs in their action plans and explain their evaluation criteria. Patients will respect Palestinian HCWs more if they prioritize their education and work quality, spend more time with patients, and reflect more loyalty. The results can be generalized since it encompassed 30% of Palestinian hospitals from all categories.

Engaging patients in balanced scorecard evaluation - An implication at Palestinian hospitals and recommendations for policy makers

Introduction

A balanced scorecard (BSC) is a comprehensive performance evaluation (PE) tool. A recent review summarized that a balanced consideration of PE from six perspectives in hospitals must be considered: financial, customer, internal, external, knowledge and growth, and managerial. However, patients were rarely engaged in BSC implementations. This research aims to engage Palestinian patients in BSC implementation to develop recommendations for policy makers.

Methodology

In this cross-sectional study, the BSC-PATIENT survey was distributed between January and October 2021. We evaluated patients' experiences and their attitudes toward BSC dimensions (BSCP ATT). The differences in evaluations based on admission status were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Causal relationships between patients' experiences and attitudes were analyzed using multiple linear regression. We tested the multicollinearity of the model. Path analysis was performed to understand the BSC strategic maps based on the Palestinian patients' evaluations.

Results

Out of 1,000 surveys, 740 were retrieved. The mean scores for Palestinian patient experiences evaluation showed that the services experience factor had the highest score (87.7 ± 17.7), and the patient care experience factor had the lowest score (57 ± 34.5). Patient experiences collectively predicted 56.4% of the variance in the BSCP ATT. The experience factors of information (β = 0.400, t = 13.543, P < 0.001), patient care (β = 0.241, t = 8.061, P < 0.001), services (β = 0.176, t = 6.497, P < 0.001), and building (β = 0.177, t = 6.308, P < 0.001) had the highest impact on BSCP ATT. The price had only a weak negative influence (β = -0.051, t = -2.040, P = 0.042). Accessibility to hospitals did not have any impact on BSCP ATT. Significant differences between inpatient and outpatients' evaluations in regard to experiences related to patient care (P = 0.042), services (P < 0.001), accessibility (P < 0.001), and BSCP ATT (P = 0.003) were found.

Conclusion

BSC-PATIENT successfully engaged patients in BSC PE at Palestinian hospitals. This research provides strong evidence for the impact of patients' information experience on their attitudes. Palestinian health policy makers must prioritize the design and delivery of patient education programs into their action plans and encourage a two-way information communication with patients. Strong evidence for patient care, services, and building experiences role in improving patients' attitudes was found. Managers should enhance patients' feedback and engagement culture in Palestinian hospitals.

Correction: Amer et al. Assessing Patient Experience and Attitude: BSC-PATIENT Development, Translation, and Psychometric Evaluation-A Cross-Sectional Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 7149

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...].

How to Engage Health Care Workers in the Evaluation of Hospitals: Development and Validation of BSC-HCW1-A Cross-Sectional Study

Organizations worldwide utilize the balanced scorecard (BSC) for their performance evaluation (PE). This research aims to provide a tool that engages health care workers (HCWs) in BSC implementation (BSC-HCW1). Additionally, it seeks to translate and validate it at Palestinian hospitals. In a cross-sectional study, 454 questionnaires were retrieved from 14 hospitals. The composite reliability (CR), interitem correlation (IIC), and corrected item total correlation (CITC) were evaluated. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used. In both EFA and CFA, the scale demonstrated a good level of model fit. All the items had loadings greater than 0.50. All factors passed the discriminant validity. Although certain factors' convergent validity was less than 0.50, their CR, IIC, and CITC were adequate. The final best fit model had nine factors and 28 items in CFA. The BSC-HCW1 is the first self-administered questionnaire to engage HCWs in assessing the BSC dimensions following all applicable rules and regulations. The findings revealed that this instrument's psychometric characteristics were adequate. Therefore, the BSC-HCW1 can be utilized to evaluate BSC perspectives and dimensions. It will help managers highlight which BSC dimension predicts HCW satisfaction and loyalty and examine differences depending on HCWs' and hospital characteristics.