Impact of Point of Care Quality Improvement Training and Coaching on Quality Perceptions of Health Care Workers: Implication for Quality Policy

J Multidiscip Healthc. 2022 Aug 31:15:1887-1899. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S374905. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Background: The quality of infant healthcare service is one of the essential factors in preventing infant mortality. The purpose of the study was to analyze the quality performance in primary healthcare centers (PHC) and hospitals before and after the point of care quality improvement (POCQI) training for Infant Healthcare Services (IHS).

Methods: This is a mixed-method study design with convergence triangulation strategy, conducted at six public PHCs and four hospitals in two districts of West Java Province, Indonesia. One hundred health care workers (HCWs) were involved for quantitative study at baseline and end of intervention. An additional 40 patients participated as informants for qualitative study. Quantitative data analysis was performed by Rasch modeling and independent t-test for all variables, followed by content analysis for qualitative data.

Results: There were significant changes in the variables of POCQI skill (mean diff: 5.14, p=0.001), quality improvement (QI) understanding (mean diff: 1.2; p=0.001), and QI engagement (mean diff: 1.7; p=0.001) in the PHC group. Although there was an increase in process and outcome variables, the changes were not significant. There was a significant change in all variables in the hospital group which were outcome (mean diff: 2.32 (p=0.19); POCQI skill (mean diff: 2.80, p=0.001); process (mean diff: 1.48, p= 0.01); QI understanding (mean diff: 1.01; p=0.01), and QI engagement (mean diff: 1.52; p=0.03). Patient perception in the qualitative study showed that PHCs and Hospitals' services improved. Moreover, health care workers found they have a better understanding of service quality and created quality changes and improved POCQI steps.

Conclusion: Implementation of POCQI in PHC and hospitals improved the performance of the quality of his, therefore assuring that POCQI is an appropriate approach and tool to be adopted in the policy for strengthening the health system.

Keywords: performance perception; point of care quality improvement; quality policy; training and coaching.

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the Ministry of Health under contract number HK.03.01/6/672/2020, while the cost of publication was funded by the Universitas Padjadjaran with contract number 1959/UN6.3.1/PT.00/2021.