[Synthetic indicator of compliance with standards for Quality Units of health centers and multicenter prospective pilot study]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

In Spain, Quality Units play a key and unique role in advising healthcare centers on the methodology of healthcare quality. The objectives of the study were to develop computer algorithms to obtain a synthetic indicator of standard compliance for Quality Units and to pilot its functioning in these units.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Excel program was used to establish evaluation algorithms, and quantitatively interrelate and weight various categories of standards, as a computer evaluation tool, to build a continuous improvement cycle system, and offer a global synthetic indicator of compliance. The tool was tested in a prospective multicenter pilot study, in which coordinators of Quality Units from different health centers and care settings participated, to evaluate the usefulness of the tool and compliance with the standards, in addition to analyzing the content validity of each standard.

RESULTS

The formulas for the structured computer algorithms were developed, consecutively, in a «PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT» improvement cycle for the 9 categories of standards, resulting in a single synthetic indicator of compliance. Twenty-one Quality Units participated in the piloting. The overall average compliance rate for the synthetic indicator was 55.63% with differences between centers (P=.002) and between categories (P<.0001), but not by autonomous communities (P=.86) or by areas (P=.97). Content validity was ensured through the variable of «understanding» of the standards (P<.001), and through their «justification» with documentary evidence (P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The computer tool with the synthetic indicator have allowed for the evaluation of standard compliance in Quality Units of healthcare centers.