Osong Public Health Res Perspect.  2017 Oct;8(5):332-341. 10.24171/j.phrp.2017.8.5.07.

Factors Related to Healthcare Service Quality in Long-term Care Hospitals in South Korea: A Mixed-methods Study

• Sohn M
• Choi M

• KMID: 2395843
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2017.8.5.07

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The environment of long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) is critical to the management of the quality of their services and to patient safety, as highlighted by international studies. However, there is a lack of evidence on this topic in South Korea. This study aimed to examine the factors affecting healthcare quality in LTCHs and to explore the effectiveness of their quality management.
METHODS
This study used a mixed methods approach with quantitative data collected in a national survey and qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with practice-based managers. The samples included 725 nationally representative LTCHs in South Korea for the quantitative analysis and 15 administrators for the in-depth interviews.
RESULTS
A higher installation rate of patient-safety and hygiene-related facilities and staff with longer-tenures, especially nurses, were more likely to have better healthcare quality and education for both employees and patients.
CONCLUSION
The need for patient-safety- and hygiene-related facilities in LTCHs that serve older adults reflects their vulnerability to certain adverse events (e.g., infections). Consistent and skillful nursing care to improve the quality of LTCHs can be achieved by developing relevant educational programs for staff and patients, thereby strengthening the relationships between them.

Keyword

hospitals; long-term care; organizational efficiency; quality of health care

MeSH Terms

Administrative Personnel
Adult
Delivery of Health Care*
Education
Efficiency, Organizational
Humans
Korea*
Long-Term Care*
Nursing Care
Patient Safety
Quality of Health Care