Study On The Health Service Quality Improvement Strategy For Hepan Township Health Hospital

Along with our country's rural medical system reformation, the current status of rural health care has been greatly improved; however there have been still a lot of problems in the quality of health services in rural areas. It is very important to establish a scientific and effective health service quality evaluation method and service quality management system suitable for the functional orientation and service characteristics of township hospitals, and then to develop a health service quality improvement programs for a single township hospital to improve its core competitiveness in order to meet the diverse demand for health services and improving the health status of rural residents.In this study, based on learning from foreign advanced theory and health services quality evaluation index system of primary health care institutions, reviewing domestic related research achievements and analyzing the functional orientation and characteristics of health services delivered by township hospitals, a health service quality evaluation index system and evaluation method which is simple, convenient and suitable for rural township hospitals were established. Two aspects of quality evaluation both of medical services and public health services of township hospitals were included in this index system so as to adapt to the functional orientation and service characteristics of township hospitals including providing basic clinic services of common and frequently-occurring diseases and basic public health services such as prevention Health care, maternal and children health, chronic disease management, programmed immunization and so on. As for the types of indicators, the system included the technical quality and functional quality indicators reflecting the quality of health services, of which technical indicators included the security indicators, indicators of treatment effectiveness and efficiency indicators, etc, and functional quality indicators included some indicators reflect the indicator of communication status between doctor and patient, satisfaction indicator and so on. Two types of indicators complemented each other, and together formed a comprehensive, integrated health service quality evaluation system.By using this health services quality evaluation index system for township hospitals, the health service quality of Hepan township hospital, Huining county, Gansu province was assessed and analyzed. Some health service quality problems in Hepan township hospital were found as follow:(1) Great efforts would be made to improve the effectiveness of treatment, which were showed by nonstandard writing in related medical documents and relatively low curing rate and improvement rate of patients, etc.; (2) the availability of public health services remained to be improved. The public health service project accessibility is poor, especially the availability of some services for vulnerable populations and chronic disease management; (3) the efficiency of medical services needed to be improved. Average hospital bed day was too long and the average hospitalization expense of each time remained high; (4) lack of communication, lack of channels of communication between doctors and patients, there were obvious defects in some areas such as in the provision of medical services and public health services, in the process of seeking medical treatment program, explaining the condition of patient and complaints treatment of quality problem, etc; (5) Satisfaction of patients and the general population to health care and public health services needed to be improved, especially satisfaction for public health services is not high.Aimed at the health service quality problems mentioned above and based on analysis on the impact factors of these issues, an intervention program of health service quality of Hepan township hospital was developed according to the continuous quality improvement model of Plan - Do - Check - Act cycle, with one year as a cycle, and the appropriate implementing measures, inspection and evaluation programs were drawn up so as to improve its service quality, and to enhance the core competitiveness of Hepan township hospital.This health services quality evaluation index system and evaluation methods for township hospitals proposed in this research project would be a good example for the future health care reform and development in rural areas of China, enhancing regular health service quality evaluation and implementing the comprehensive health service quality management and developing the appropriate improvement program of health service quality.