Establishing 5 inspection teams to evaluate the quality of central hospitals

Associate Professor, Doctor Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, said that the Ministry of Health has just established 5 inspection teams to evaluate the quality of central hospitals in 2014.

(Illustration photo: Duong Ngoc/VNA)

Accordingly, from December 1, 2014 to January 15, 2015, the Ministry of Health will inspect central hospitals, university hospitals and re-examine some hospitals if abnormal results are found; local health departments will inspect affiliated hospitals.

This year, the Ministry of Health continues to assess hospital quality according to the Criteria Set with 84 criteria, of which the old 83 criteria are still maintained and there is a new criterion (criterion 84) to determine changes in hospital quality after each inspection.

The purpose of the annual hospital inspection is to assess the current status of hospital quality, to consider where the hospital is in order to propose solutions to improve hospital quality.

“Hospitals need to clearly identify the main purpose of assessing quality criteria, which is to help hospitals self-identify weaknesses in quality management and identify priority issues that need improvement. Therefore, self-assessment must ensure objectivity, honesty, and not pursue achievements. The Criteria Set is not only a measure of the quality of hospitals but also a measure of the management and operational capacity of hospital directors. The Criteria Set is not for hospitals to immediately achieve maximum results, but to help hospitals continuously improve and strive to have the best quality of service for patients,” Associate Professor, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue emphasized.

Sharing about the benefits of hospital inspection work, Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Xuan Hung, Deputy Head of Quality Management Department of Viet Duc Hospital said that in 2013, the Hospital achieved 3.2/5 points.

Through the inspection, it was found that the hospital's strengths were human resources, and its weaknesses were patient-oriented criteria and quality improvement activities. Thanks to the implementation of the Hospital Quality Criteria, Viet Duc Hospital has made significant changes. In particular, the lesson the hospital learned was that finding patient-oriented solutions is the most important and prioritizing pressing issues for improvement first.

Director of Phu Tho General Hospital Nguyen Huy Ngoc also shared that in 2013, Phu Tho General Hospital achieved 3.12/5 points. The hospital quality criteria are very useful for hospitals. At first, the hospital was still confused, but with the determination from the director to the staff, the hospital has continuously strived to improve....

In 2013, for the first time, the Hospital Quality Assessment Criteria was piloted and replaced the hospital checklist. This is considered a breakthrough in the health sector in awareness and changing thinking in hospital quality assessment.

Currently, the Ministry of Health has established a Team to complete the Criteria Set and continue to add criteria on diagnostic imaging, patient care, professional fields, etc.; develop a Handbook for implementing Hospital Criteria to strive to have a complete Criteria Set by 2015 and move towards developing a Hospital Quality Standards Set for independent assessment agencies./.

According to Vietnam+