A descriptive study on clinical department managers’ cognition of the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle and factors influencing their cognition

Abstract Background The mastery and application of the “Plan-Do-Check-Act” (PDCA) cycle by hospital clinical department managers are essential for hospitals to carry out total quality management and continuously improve medical quality. This study investigated the degree of cognition of the PDCA cycle by clinical department managers and the factors affecting their cognition. Methods A self-designed questionnaire was used to evaluate the cognition of clinical department managers regarding the PDCA cycle in 11 municipal public Class III Grade A hospitals in Western China. Results More than 25% of clinical department managers in the surveyed hospitals are unaware or partially aware of the PDCA cycle. Logistic regression analysis showed that sex (P = 0.049), education (P