(Int J Health Care Qual Assur[TA])
1,167 results
  • Patient attitudes of smartphone use by medical staff in teaching hospital emergency departments. [Journal Article]
    Int J Health Care Qual Assur. 2026 Sep 21; :1-15. [Online ahead of print]Saadatnia Z, Sadeqi Jabali M, … Shirdel AIJ
  • CONCLUSIONS: Although patients generally perceived medical staff' use of smartphones as beneficial, concerns regarding their impact on communication quality and information security underscore the need for clear institutional guidelines and patient education to ensure the effective, safe and patient-centered integration of smartphones into emergency department practice.Given the known benefits and the goal of improving healthcare quality and patient safety, it is crucial to evaluate patient attitudes towards healthcare providers' use of Smart mobile phones.
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  • Evaluating administrative service quality in public hospitals: a SERVPERF-based study in Portugal. [Journal Article]
    Int J Health Care Qual Assur. 2026 Sep 21; :1-15. [Online ahead of print]Maceira I, Melo AI, Santinha GIJ
  • CONCLUSIONS: The findings point to concrete improvement priorities in administrative services. Administrative quality indicators and standardised assessment tools can enhance systematic monitoring and improvement.This study broadens understanding of patient experience by highlighting non-clinical service interfaces and the need to integrate administrative services into quality improvement strategies in public hospitals.
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  • Understanding international university students' perceptions of healthcare service quality: development and validation of a new scale. [Journal Article]
    Int J Health Care Qual Assur. 2026 Sep 14; :1-13. [Online ahead of print]Kabul E, Karagöz YIJ
  • CONCLUSIONS: Rather than proposing entirely new theoretical constructs, this study offers a context-sensitive measurement tool that operationalizes established healthcare service quality domains specifically for international university students. While generic instruments like SERVQUAL are widely used, they often fail to capture the unique challenges faced by internationally mobile populations, such as language barriers, system unfamiliarity and culturally shaped expectations. By addressing this measurement gap, the proposed scale provides a more precise diagnostic tool for universities and healthcare providers to identify areas of uncertainty and improve service delivery for diverse student populations.
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  • A practical model for improving first-case on-time starts performance. [Journal Article]
    Int J Health Care Qual Assur. 2026 Sep 08; :1-17. [Online ahead of print]Mitreska K, Tran P, … Chircop AIJ
  • CONCLUSIONS: This study's systematic, multidisciplinary, collaborative approach demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of interventions to improve FCOTS in a hospital setting.The unique contextualised framework has assisted hospital staff in addressing FCOTS challenges through CQI practice.
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  • Paging Dr. Patient: a diagnosis of Greek public hospitals through sentiment analysis. [Journal Article]
    Int J Health Care Qual Assur. 2026 Sep 01; :1-17. [Online ahead of print]Koutoupis AG, Thanasas GL, … Davidopoulos LGIJ
  • CONCLUSIONS: Our study is driven by the relatively limited research on sentiment analysis in hospitals and particularly by invites for research on the patients' opinion as to what really is satisfactory healthcare, by contributing a specific country case study to the limited previous research in this area.
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  • Identification and analysis of critical factors influencing patient satisfaction for quality healthcare service delivery in Ghana using mixed methods. [Journal Article]
    Int J Health Care Qual Assur. 2026 Aug 18; :1-21. [Online ahead of print]Dussey S, Kumar SKMIJ
  • CONCLUSIONS: The study was conducted at selected health facilities in Ghana, and although it included diverse facility types (public, private and community-based), the findings may not fully capture the entire heterogeneity of Ghana's healthcare system. Differences across regions, facility levels and socioeconomic contexts could influence perceptions of satisfaction and quality.The study highlights key strategies for improving patient satisfaction through targeted service quality improvements. Administrative efficiency emerged as the strongest predictor of satisfaction, underscoring the importance of streamlined workflows, transparent communication and staff training in customer service. Quality of care remains essential, with emphasis on clinical competence, compassionate care, continuous professional development and patient-centered models. Although waiting times showed a modest influence, patient experience during delays can be improved through queue management, triage systems and waiting-area amenities. Gender differences in satisfaction suggest the need for tailored services and feedback mechanisms. Overall, policymakers and managers should prioritize administrative efficiency, quality enhancement, patient experience during waiting periods and inclusive, demographic-responsive strategies.This study provides an in-depth, evidence-based understanding of the multiple factors shaping patient satisfaction in Ghana. It emphasizes the need to address both operational inefficiencies and interpersonal care to improve patient experience. The findings contribute to ongoing health sector reforms aimed at strengthening administrative systems, enhancing staff-patient interactions and upgrading healthcare infrastructure, especially in resource-limited settings.
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  • The impact of hospital environment on patient behavior: the case of Ankara Bilkent city hospital. [Journal Article]
    Int J Health Care Qual Assur. 2026 Aug 13; :1-21. [Online ahead of print]Arikan G, Korkmaz SIJ
  • CONCLUSIONS: Several limitations of this study should be acknowledged. First, the sample consisted only of inpatients from the Gynecology and Obstetrics Hospital and the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Hospital of Ankara Bilkent City Hospital because survey permission was granted only for these units. Consequently, the findings may not reflect the experiences of patients treated in other departments. Second, purposive sampling was employed, which may have introduced selection bias and limited the representativeness of the sample. Third, the study was conducted in a single city hospital in Türkiye, limiting the generalizability of the findings to other city hospitals, healthcare organizations or different national contexts.Given the relatively novel nature of city hospitals, healthcare managers and policymakers need a clearer understanding of how environmental stimuli shape patients' perceptions of service quality, emotional responses, trust in physicians and behavioral intentions. The findings suggest that investments in hospital environments should extend beyond functional infrastructure to include patient-centered design features that enhance comfort, accessibility, safety and overall service experience. By improving these environmental dimensions, hospital administrators can strengthen patients' trust in physicians, increase perceived service quality and encourage favorable behavioral intentions, such as positive word-of-mouth and revisit intentions. These findings provide practical guidance for managers and policymakers seeking to optimize patient experience and improve the effectiveness of large-scale healthcare facilities.This study contributes to the literature by testing an established SOR-based framework in the organizationally distinctive context of a PPP city hospital in Türkiye, where evidence on patient experience mechanisms remains limited. Its value lies in demonstrating that hospital environmental stimuli are linked not only to behavioral intentions directly but also indirectly through inpatients' pleasure and trust in physicians, thereby offering an empirically grounded explanation of patient responses in a complex hospital setting.
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  • The effect of TeamSTEPPS® mobile-based learning on operating room efficiency. [Journal Article]
    Int J Health Care Qual Assur. 2026 Aug 13; :1-10. [Online ahead of print]Amiri F, Sohrabi MR, … Azadi NIJ
  • CONCLUSIONS: This study's findings should be interpreted in light of its pragmatic design, which balanced scientific rigor with the logistical and ethical realities of research in active clinical settings. Key limitations inform specific recommendations for future work. The study's participant scope was intentionally restricted to nursing and technical staff to ensure consistent intervention exposure amidst the scheduling complexities of a multidisciplinary team. This focus, however, narrows the generalizability of the findings. Future research should prioritize multidisciplinary inclusion, engaging surgeons, anesthesiologists and administrative staff to foster a shared mental model and assess the collective impact of teamwork training. The intervention employed a passive, text-based modality (SMS link to a PDF) to maximize scalability and minimize clinical disruption. While practical, this approach limited the ability to measure engagement. Subsequent studies should enhance training modalities by using interactive mobile-learning platforms with video, gamification and simulation to deepen learning and monitor outcomes. Methodologically, the quasi-experimental design and short-term follow-up were necessary for feasibility. To strengthen causal inferences and assess long-term impact, future work should adopt more rigorous study designs, such as stepped-wedge trials and implement longitudinal evaluation over extended periods (e.g. 6-18 months). Finally, while the standardized curriculum ensured consistency, a hybrid "core-plus-flex" training model that balances a standard core with locally adapted modules, integrated with organizational support mechanisms, is recommended to enhance relevance and translate learning into systemic improvements.This paper aims to enhance the effectiveness of TeamSTEPPS® training, healthcare institutions should actively involve all critical OR personnel - including surgeons and anesthesiologists - in both training and evaluation phases. In-person, simulation-based sessions with real-time feedback may better reinforce team behaviors than mobile-only formats. Embedding training within broader organizational reforms - such as leadership support, performance-based incentives and infrastructure improvements - can drive sustainable change. Hospitals should also tailor training content to their specific cultural and operational contexts to improve staff engagement and program relevance. Finally, implementing long-term follow-up and monitoring mechanisms is essential for measuring true behavioral and operational impacts over time.Although the TeamSTEPPS® mobile-based training did not yield measurable improvements in OR efficiency, its broader social implications remain significant. Enhancing team communication and collaboration in surgical settings can contribute to safer patient experiences, reduced interpersonal conflicts and improved job satisfaction among healthcare professionals. These outcomes, even if not immediately quantifiable, support a culture of mutual respect and shared responsibility. Promoting inclusive and context-sensitive training interventions can also help reduce hierarchical barriers and empower diverse staff roles, ultimately fostering a more equitable and resilient healthcare environment that benefits both patients and providers in the long term.While a focused improvement was noted, this passively delivered, mobile-based training targeting a subset of OR staff did not yield widespread gains in operational effectiveness. The findings suggest that more interactive, inclusive and sustained training approaches may be necessary to achieve a broader impact on the complex dynamics of OR efficiency.
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  • A survey-based assessment of situation awareness in intensive care units: development of the ICU-SCOPE questionnaire. [Journal Article]
    Int J Health Care Qual Assur. 2026 Jul 30; :1-19. [Online ahead of print]Wijaya MI, Pradnyawati LG, … Sahadewa SIJ
  • CONCLUSIONS: The study relied on self-reported data and was conducted within a single geographical region, which may limit generalizability. Further validation using confirmatory factor analysis and application in different healthcare systems is warranted to strengthen external validity.The ICU-SCOPE questionnaire provides healthcare organizations with a structured tool to assess situation awareness across cognitive, team, environmental, workload, and leadership dimensions. The instrument can support targeted quality improvement initiatives, benchmarking, and monitoring of safety-related conditions in ICU settings.By enabling systematic assessment of situation awareness, ICU-SCOPE has the potential to contribute to safer critical care environments, improved teamwork and enhanced patient safety outcomes. Improved situation awareness may also support staff well-being by identifying workload and organizational factors that contribute to cognitive strain.This study is among the first to develop a situation awareness measurement instrument for ICUs using a mixed-methods approach that integrates frontline clinical experience with organizational and leadership perspectives. ICU-SCOPE advances existing safety culture assessments by explicitly operationalizing situation awareness as a multidimensional, system-level construct applicable to real-world intensive care practice.
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  • Beyond clinical care: how the hospital environment shapes patient perception and satisfaction. [Journal Article]
    Int J Health Care Qual Assur. 2026 Jul 27; :1-17. [Online ahead of print]Kothari H, Agarwal P, … Prasad KIJ
  • CONCLUSIONS: The study is limited to a single tertiary healthcare institution and cross-sectional survey data. Future research could employ longitudinal designs and multisource data samples to improve generalizability.Healthcare administrators should prioritize investments in hospital infrastructure and environmental hygiene as strategic predictors of patient perceptions. Improving structural service quality can strengthen patient trust, enhance satisfaction and contribute to better healthcare service outcomes.Healthcare policymakers should invest more in hospital infrastructure and environmental hygiene as these ae strategic predictors of patient perceptions. Improving structural service quality can strengthen patient trust, enhance satisfaction and contribute to better healthcare service outcomes.The study advances the healthcare quality literature quality literature by empirically integrating environmental healthcare factors with the Donabedian quality framework and demonstrating the mediating role of patient perception in shaping satisfaction outcomes within hospital service environments.
  • Publisher Full Text (DOI)