Attitudes toward Quality Improvement Activities of QA Committee Member Physicians in Korean University Hospitals

Lee, Sang-Il

Journal of Korean Society Quality Assurance Health Care 1998;5(1): 76.
Published online May 30, 1998.

대학병원 질 향상 관련 위원회 소속 의사들의 의료 질 관리 활동에 대한 인식 및 태도

이상일

울산대학교 의과대학 예방의학교실

Attitudes toward Quality Improvement Activities of QA Committee Member Physicians in Korean University Hospitals

Sang-Il Lee

Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine

Abstract

Background
The purpose of this study was to understand general attitudes of physicians toward hospital quality improvement activities who have been members of QA committee in 32 Korean university hospitals.
Methods
A postal survey about opinions of hospital quality improvement activities and desirable policy directions was sent to 328 QA committee member physicians. The questionnaires were composed of 48 items. In total 152 physicians responded to this survey(response rate: 49.3%). This study was carried out from January to February 1996.
Results
Most physicians(97.5%) recognized the necessity of hospital QA activities. The most dominant supporting reason for quality activities was to improve clinical outcome. Two thirds of physicians regarded their own hospital activities for quality improvement as inactive. They considered that the obstacles were too little concern(33.6%), unclear objectives(28.9%), lack of human resources(14.3%), and insufficient education and training for quality improvement(10.1%). The most favoring policy among respondents was to give health care providers economic incentives. Provision of education and training for implementing quality improvement was the next to it. Physicians revealed their preferences for professional society, government, health insurance societies, consumer groups, hospital labor unions, and mass media in sequence as sponsoring agencies for hospital accreditation program.
Conclusion
These study suggested that the concrete means for motivating physicians and promoting constructive partnership among related parties should be developed in order to activate current hospital quality activities in Korea.

Key words quality assurance;attitude of health personnel;physicians in Korea;health policy;