In the health care setting, the role of quality management is to enhance care delivery and promote the satisfaction of the patients. Quality management plays an integral role in ensuring that the needs of the patients and expectations are met by focusing on patients, good leadership and improving the work environment. According to Lashgari, Arefanian, Mohammadshahi, and Khoshdel (2015), quality management gives a framework for health facilities to organize, improve and communicate effectively. The following paper reviews quality management in relation to satisfaction of the patients.
Quality management in developing countries is critical in ensuring service utilization and satisfaction of the patients. Khamis and Njau (2014) conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the level of patients’ satisfaction based on the quality of health care at an outpatient department (OPD) at Mwananyamala hospital in Tanzania. The study established that poor communication skills displayed by OPD health workers, lack of compassion, poor listening skills, and shortage of essential drugs contribute to patients’ dissatisfaction. Khamis and Njau (2014) noted that the quality of health care is influenced by how management focuses on the efficacy of service delivery and the satisfaction of patients.
Comprehensive care for patients plays a significant role in ensuring successful treatment. Comprehensive care entails proper treatment plans, availing the core treatment services, and linking the patients to social and psychological services (Hunter, Ober, Paddock, Hunt, & Levan, 2014). Fields and Roman (2010) conducted a study to examine the relationship between quality management and the provision of comprehensive care in substance abuse centers. The study entailed a cross-sectional approach with a sample of 700 public and private substance abuse centers. Clinical and administrative directors of the centers were interviewed. The study established that quality management correlated positively to the comprehensive care provision and contributed to the cost-effectiveness of the care delivery and satisfaction of patients.
Naidu (2010) noted that the satisfaction of patients is an important index of quality health care delivery. For the satisfaction to take place there is the need for quality management in processes such as the waiting time. Mohebbifar et al. (2014) conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study to examine the waiting time in teaching hospitals. The study established that the average waiting time for each patient was 245 minutes. Mohebbifar et al. (2014) concluded that the adoption of alternative time management models can help in the reduction of the waiting time. For instance, the use of electronic visit systems using the internet can reduce the waiting time and improve the patients’ satisfaction.
References
Fields, D., & Roman, P. M. (2010). Total quality management and performance in substance abuse treatment centers. Health Services Research, 45(1), 1630- 1649.
Hunter, S. B., Ober, A. J., Paddock, S. M., Hunt, P. E., & Levan, D. (2014). Continuous quality improvement (CQI) in addiction treatment settings: design and intervention protocol of a group randomized pilot study. Addiction Science and Clinical Practice, 9(4), 1-11.
Khamis, K., & Njau, B. (2014). Patients’ level of satisfaction on quality of health care at Mwananyamala hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. BMC Health Services Research, 14(1), 1-9.
Lashgari, M. H., Arefanian, S., Mohammadshahi, A., & Khoshdel, A. R. (2015). Effects of the Total Quality Management Implication on Patient Satisfaction in the Emergency Department of Military Hospitals. Journal of Archives in Military Medicine, 3(1), 1-14.
Mohebbifar, R., Hasanpoor, E., Mohseni, M., Sokhanvar, M., Khosravizadeh, O., & Isfahani, H. M. (2014). Outpatient waiting time in health services and teaching hospitals: a case study in Iran. Global Journal of Health Science, 6(1), 172-176.
Naidu, A. (2010). Factors affecting patient satisfaction and healthcare quality. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 22(4), 366-381.