OBJECTIVES: To describe how well the problems detected by a quality improvement plan (QIP) for a health care team (HCT) were solved; and to analyse the identification methods, the quality causes and dimensions affected by the problems detected, and the participation of professionals. DESIGN: Descriptive study. Evaluation of the situation in December 2004 of the problems identified since 1989. SETTING: Urban HCT, with 58 professionals caring for a population of 18,897 inhabitants in the La Mina District, Barcelona, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Five-hundred and thirty problems identified. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Number and kind of detections and problems; identification methods; quality dimensions; causes; degree of solution, by method and cause; degree of solution of the QIP (of "internal" problems, excluding the problems caused externally or by patients); professional participation. RESULTS: In 312 meetings, there were 963 detections (annual average, 60.1; SD, 18.8), corresponding to 530 problems (annual average, 33.1; SD, 12.4). Of these 530 problems, 411 improved (77.5%). Of the 258 "internal" problems, 225 improved. The degree of solution of the QIP was 87.2%. The identification method that detected most problems (53.02% of the total) was the active listening of the quality improvement group. The quality dimensions most affected by the problems were effectiveness (31.7%) and accessibility (20.4%). The most frequent cause of problems and, at the same time, the category with the highest improvement rate (81.6%) was internal organization; 83.9% of professionals took part in the QIP. CONCLUSIONS: Having a QIP at our centre facilitated the management of the quality of care delivery.
OBJECTIVES: To describe how well the problems detected by a quality improvement plan (QIP) for a health care team (HCT) were solved; and to analyse the identification methods, the quality causes and dimensions affected by the problems detected, and the participation of professionals. DESIGN: Descriptive study. Evaluation of the situation in December 2004 of the problems identified since 1989. SETTING: Urban HCT, with 58 professionals caring for a population of 18,897 inhabitants in the La Mina District, Barcelona, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Five-hundred and thirty problems identified. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Number and kind of detections and problems; identification methods; quality dimensions; causes; degree of solution, by method and cause; degree of solution of the QIP (of "internal" problems, excluding the problems caused externally or by patients); professional participation. RESULTS: In 312 meetings, there were 963 detections (annual average, 60.1; SD, 18.8), corresponding to 530 problems (annual average, 33.1; SD, 12.4). Of these 530 problems, 411 improved (77.5%). Of the 258 "internal" problems, 225 improved. The degree of solution of the QIP was 87.2%. The identification method that detected most problems (53.02% of the total) was the active listening of the quality improvement group. The quality dimensions most affected by the problems were effectiveness (31.7%) and accessibility (20.4%). The most frequent cause of problems and, at the same time, the category with the highest improvement rate (81.6%) was internal organization; 83.9% of professionals took part in the QIP. CONCLUSIONS: Having a QIP at our centre facilitated the management of the quality of care delivery.