Is the maturity of hospitals' quality improvement systems associated with measures of quality and patient safety?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Previous research addressed the development of a classification scheme for quality improvement systems in European hospitals. In this study we explore associations between the 'maturity' of the hospitals' quality improvement system and clinical outcomes.

Methods

The maturity classification scheme was developed based on survey results from 389 hospitals in eight European countries. We matched the hospitals from the Spanish sample (113 hospitals) with those hospitals participating in a nation-wide, voluntary hospital performance initiative. We then compared sample distributions and explored associations between the 'maturity' of the hospitals' quality improvement system and a range of composite outcomes measures, such as adjusted hospital-wide mortality, -readmissio

SUBMITTER: Groene O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3267703 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature