Public health management : an audit on the efficacy of healthcare quality measurement methods for Western Cape’s ‘Healthcare 2030’ strategy

Abstract

This study was an evaluation of the efficacy of in-programme healthcare quality assessment methods used by the Western Cape Department of Health (WCDoH) to generate health evidence needed to improve healthcare quality in the Province's primary healthcare facilities as envisioned in the Western Cape Province's Healthcare 2030 vision document. The commitment made by policymakers in the multi-year health strategy to inculcate a culture of continuous improvement to improve healthcare quality needed to be tested on the appropriateness of data generation instruments being used to generate health evidence to improve quality. In this context, the researcher found the research problem to be an absence of operating knowledge to ascertain the efficacy of healthcare quality measurement methods used by the WCDoH to generate health evidence needed to meet the Province's healthcare quality objectives espoused in the vision document Healthcare 2030. Reviewed literature showed an increased demand for knowledge-driven health systems where data is generated to evaluate performance, client satisfaction, clinical quality and professional development of health workers. Through qualitative research methodology, the study used purposive sampling to select 12 (twelve) participants from Bothasig Community Day Centre (CDC), 16 participants from Du Noon Community Health Centre (CHC) and 8 (eight) heads of the WCDoH's Directorates. The participants answered open and closed-ended questions on questionnaires on the appropriateness of instruments used to generate information needed to facilitate patient-centred care and evidence-driven healthcare. Respondents highlighted the need for increased awareness campaigns on Healthcare 2030 among healthcare professionals, the need for a measurement metric to gauge the progress of medical instruction compliance over time, the need for a stakeholder-focused health facility management programme and a tailored institutional support framework. The research concluded that the measurement of patient wellness must be tracked over time, information systems must be integrated to facilitate information sharing, Healthcare 2030 policy awareness must improve across the department and a culture of interdepartmental knowledge sharing must be promoted.