Journal List > J Korean Acad Nurs > v.41(4) > 1002740

TOOLS
Yi, Oh, Hwang, Kwon, Lee, and Park: Hospital Workers' Experience with Hospital Evaluation Program: A Focus Group Study
Original Article
Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing

Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing 2011; 41(4): 568-579.

Published online: 31 August 2011

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2011.41.4.568

Hospital Workers' Experience with Hospital Evaluation Program: A Focus Group Study

Myungsun Yi1, Ji Hyeon Oh2, Hye Min Hwang2, Eun Jin Kwon2, Jeong-hee Lee3, Eun Young Park4

1Professor, College of Nursing & Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

2Doctoral Student, College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

3QA Part Manager, Management Innovation Department, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.

4Professor, Department of Nursing Science, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Incheon, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Park, Eun Young. Department of Nursing Science, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, 534-2 Yeonsu 3-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Inchon 406-799, Korea. Tel: +82-32-820-4207, Fax: +82-32-820-4201, parkeunyoung@gachon.ac.kr

Received 12 January 2011       Accepted 4 August 2011

© 2011 Korean Society of Nursing Science

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to understand and describe the hospital workers' experience related to the hospital evaluation program implemented in Korea between 2004 and 2009.

Methods

During 2010, data were collected using focus group interviews. Four focus group interviews were held with a total of 28 hospital workers participating. All interviews were recorded and transcribed as they were spoken, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

Nine themes emerged from the analysis: 1) Positive change in the necessity of the evaluation; 2) Improvement in the hospital system, facilities, and human resources; 3) Unity through cooperation among departments; 4) Nursing work overload; 5) Lack of physicians' awareness and responsibilities; 6) Unfair and unrealistic evaluation items; 7) Lack of credibility of the outcome; 8) Shifting responsibility for negative outcomes to the workers; 9) Lack of pragmatic utility.

Conclusion

The results of the study demonstrate that the hospital evaluation program played a key role in improving some work environments and communication among departments. At the same time, they show various negative themes resulting from the context of very authoritarian hospital systems and a connection-oriented society in Korea.

Keywords: Qualitative research, Focus groups, Health care evaluation mechanism, Hospital worker

Figures and Tables

Table 1
Characteristics of the Focus Group Interviews
jkan-41-568-i001

QI=Quality improvement.

Table 2
Characteristics of the Participants (N=28)
jkan-41-568-i002

References

1. Bae JI. A study on hospital staff: A perception of and attitudes toward the medical institute accreditation system-Focused on those working for the public hospital. 2009. Seoul: Yonsei University;Unpublished master's thesis.
2. Brink PJ, Wood MJ. Advanced design in nursing research. 1989. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
3. Cavanagh S. Content analysis: Concepts, methods and applications. Nurse Researcher. 1997. 4(3):5–16.
4. Denzin NK. Denzin NK, editor. Strategies of multiple triangulation. The research act: A theoretical introduction to sociological methods. 1989. 3rd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall;234–247.
5. Downe-Wamboldt B. Content analysis: Method, applications, and issues. Health Care for Women International. 1992. 13:313–321.
6. Greenfield D, Braithwaite J. Health sector accreditation research: A systematic review. International Journal for Quality in Health Care. 2008. 20:172–183. doi: 10.1093/intqhc/mzn005.
7. Greenfield D, Pawsey M, Naylor J, Braithwaite J. Are accreditation surveys reliable? International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance. 2009. 22:105–116. doi: 10.1108/09526860910944601.
8. Han WS. The effect of the hospital evaluation program to business performance in medical service organization-General hospital employee point of view. 2007. Daejon: Konyang University;Unpublished doctoral dissertation.
9. Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. Development of standard for evaluation of appropriateness of health insurance: Department for efficacy of resource utility. 2010. Seoul: Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service.
10. Kim E, Kang M, Kim Y, Park JH, Park JH. Opinions and strategies on the national hospital evaluation program. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration. 2007. 13:40–52.
11. Kim SC. How can hospitals improve quality in hospital quality assessment program? Journal of Korean Society of Quality Assurance in Health Care. 1994. 1(2):30–33.
12. Kreuger RA. Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research. 1994. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
13. Lecompte MD, Goetz JP. Problems of reliability and validity in ethnographic research. Review of Educational Research. 1982. 52(1):31–60.
14. Lee S. Background of hospital quality assessment. Journal of Korean Society of Quality Assurance in Health Care. 1994. 1(2):2–10.
15. Lee SH. Problems and opinions on the national hospital accreditation program 2004. Journal of Korean Hospital Association. 2005. 34(9):32–42.
16. Lee SM, Kim JY, Cho WH. Opinions on the national hospital accreditation program 2007. Journal of Korean Society of Quality Assurance in Health Care. 2008. 14(2):89–100.
17. Ministry of Health & Welfare, & Korea Health Industry Development Institute. Guidelines for hospital services evaluation programme. 2004. Seoul: Korea Health Industry Development Institute.
18. Patton MQ. Qualitative evaluation and research methods. 1990. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
19. Sandelowski M. The problem of rigor in qualitative research. Advances in Nursing Science. 1986. 8(3):27–37.
20. Spradley J. The ethnographic interview. 1979. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.
21. Stewart DW, Shamdasani PN. Focus groups: Theory and practice. 1990. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
22. Yi GE. A study on the recognition of mid sized hospital employee about the hospital evaluation. 2009. Busan: Catholic University of Pusan;Unpublished master's thesis.
23. Yoo M, Chung M. The relationship among the perception of quality assurance and national hospital evaluation program and nursing performance of hospital nurses. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration. 2008. 14:260–267.
TOOLS
Similar articles