An Investigation into the Effects of Quality Improvement Method on Patients' Satisfaction: A Semi Experimental Research in Iran.

Today, to increase effectiveness is a Strategy for success of organizations and their viability. In health care organization not only service cost- effectiveness is a major problem for productivity and organizational management but also customer-centred is in first priority. Because of these reasons, most of health organization trend to patient satisfaction for their viability. If complex process implemented for viability without attention to patient satisfaction, this is no success result. The FOCUS PDCA process is a new strategy for effectiveness of service quality. To this reason, the recent research done and its objective is to assess effect of FOCUS PDCA process strategy on patient satisfaction in surgery units of hospitals affiliated to Tehran Medical University. This research is a semi experimental with non-equivalent design. The sample was all of patients who hospitalized in two selected surgery units. Self-report was method of data gathering. Patient satisfaction assessed with questionnaire in pre and posttest. Then manipulation implemented as post-operation care process selected. Modelling and opportunity statement Diagrams prepared and improvement team organized. Flow process, convergences and cause-effect charts used to prepare list of items to be improved. Executive program was written. This include personnel training, standard implementation, election and training of quality control nurses (Q.C Ns), daily QC of caring and providing appropriate feed back to personnel, forming group session for determining corrective actions. Then after 1 month patient satisfaction was assessed. Statistical analysis shows this process increase patient satisfaction and it leads to care effectiveness. The findings of the pre-intervention phase indicated that the satisfaction level had been low in both groups and it is not significantly different in the two groups (P> 0.05). There was a significant difference before and after following intervention in the case study group (P>0.0001). FOCUS PDCA is effective method for access to various objectives especially patient satisfaction. it is suggested other researcher assess effects of this strategy for other indexes and total care process effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]