Measuring in-hospital quality multidimensionally by integrating patients', kin's and healthcare professionals' perspectives: development and validation of the FlaQuM-Quickscan.

Background: Measuring quality is essential to drive improvement initiatives in hospitals. An instrument that measures healthcare quality multidimensionally and integrates patients', kin's and professionals' perspectives is lacking. We aimed to develop and validate an instrument to measure healthcare quality multidimensionally from a multistakeholder perspective.

Sustainable quality management in hospitals: The experiences of healthcare quality managers.

Background: Quality management systems are essential in hospitals, but evidence shows a real literature gap on the sustainable implementation of quality.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore and identify enablers towards sustainable quality management in hospitals. Research design and Study Sample: Interviews were conducted with 23 healthcare quality managers from 20 hospitals.

Continuous Shoulder Activity Tracking after Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Proximal Humerus Fractures.

Postoperative shoulder activity after proximal humerus fracture treatment could influence the outcomes of osteosynthesis and may depend on the rehabilitation protocol. This multi-centric prospective study aimed at evaluating the feasibility of continuous shoulder activity monitoring over the first six postoperative weeks, investigating potential differences between two different rehabilitation protocols. Shoulder activity was assessed with pairs of accelerometer-based trackers during the first six postoperative weeks in thirteen elderly patients having a complex proximal humerus fracture treated with a locking plate.

Cornerstones of a sustainable national quality policy: A qualitative study based on international expert opinions.

Background: National initiatives launched to improve the quality of care have grown exponentially over the last decade. Public reporting, accreditation and governmental inspection form the basis for quality in Flemish (Belgian) hospitals. Due to the lack of evidence for these national initiatives and the questions concerning their sustainability, our research aims to identify cornerstones of a sustainable national quality policy for acute-care hospitals based on international expert opinion.

The cost of a first and second hospital-wide accreditation in Flanders, Belgium.

Background: Hospital accreditation is a popular and widely used quality control and improvement instrument. Despite potential benefits, ques-tions are raised whether it constitutes appropriate use of hospitals' limited financial resources.

Objective: This study aims to calculate the cost of preparing for and undergoing a first and second accreditation by the Joint Commission International or Qualicor Europe in acute-care hospitals.

Patients' and kin's perspective on healthcare quality compared to Lachman's multidimensional quality model: Focus group interviews.

Objectives: To identify key attributes of healthcare quality relevant to patients and kin and to compare them to Lachman's multidimensional quality model.

Methods: Four focus groups with patients and kin were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide and a purposive sampling method. Classical content analysis and constant comparison method were used to focus data analysis on individual and group level.

A co-creation roadmap towards sustainable quality of care: A multi-method study.

Objective: Hospitals demonstrated increased efforts into quality improvement over the past years. Their growing commitment to quality combined with a heterogeneity in perceptions among healthcare stakeholders cause concerns on the sustainable incorporation of quality into the daily workflow. Questions are raised on the drivers for a sustainable hospital quality policy.

Unwarranted Between-hospital Variation in Mortality, Readmission, and Length of Stay of Urological Admissions: An Important Trigger for Prioritising Quality Targets.

Background: Unwarranted between-hospital variation is a persistent health care quality issue. It is unknown whether urology patients are prone to this variation.

Objective: To examine between-hospital variation in mortality, readmission, and length of stay for all 22 urological All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APR-DRGs).

The future of hospital quality of care policy: A multi-stakeholder discrete choice experiment in Flanders, Belgium.

Background: Collaboration between policymakers, patients and healthcare workers in hospital quality of care policy setting can improve the integration of new initiatives. The aim of this study was to quantify preferences for various characteristics of a future quality policy in a broad group of stakeholders.

Materials And Methods: 450 policymakers, clinicians, nurses, patient representatives and hospital board members in Flanders (Belgium) participated in five discrete choice experiments (DCE) on quality control, quality improvement, inspection, patient incidents and transparency.

A decade of commitment to hospital quality of care: overview of and perceptions on multicomponent quality improvement policies involving accreditation, public reporting, inspection and pay-for-performance.

Background: Quality improvement (QI) initiatives such as accreditation, public reporting, inspection and pay-for-performance are increasingly being implemented globally. In Flanders, Belgium, a government policy for acute-care hospitals incorporates aforementioned initiatives. Currently, questions are raised on the sustainability of the present policy.

The History of Quality: From an Eye for an Eye, Through Love, and Towards a Multidimensional Concept for Patients, Kin, and Professionals.

In ancient civilizations, poor quality was dealt with according to the principle of "an eye for an eye." In the modern era we have learned from industry what quality really is. Quality includes standards, protocols, system thinking, and an understanding of variation to ensure good outcomes.

Impact of the first COVID-19 wave on surgical training in Flanders: are we losing competence?

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has tremendously impacted the healthcare system and residency programs worldwide. Surgical residents were redeployed to COVID-19 units, whereas education and scientific didactics were reduced. The aim of this study is to identify the impact of COVID-19 on Flemish surgical residents' education, personal life and volume of performed surgeries.

Six years of measuring patient experiences in Belgium: Limited improvement and lack of association with improvement strategies.

Objective: To examine trends in patient experiences in the period 2014-2019, describe improvement strategies implemented by hospitals in the same period, and study associations between patient experiences and implemented strategies.

Design: Multi-center retrospective region-wide observational design.

Setting: Flanders, Belgium.

High rates of implant fracture of a generic polished tapered femoral stem.

Objectives: Cemented polished tapered stems have demonstrated excellent long-term outcomes. Based on this concept, many generic tapered stems have been released into the market. The aim of this study was to evaluate implant-related complications of 1 specific stem design.