Identification and Prioritization of Patient Experience Evaluation Criteria of Healthcare Using a Hybrid Method Delphi and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process
نویسندگان
1 Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
2 Ph.D. Candidate in Health Policy, School of Abarkouh Paramedicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
3 MSc in Heathcare Services Management, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
4 PhD in Health Policy, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
5 Ph.D. in Healthcare Services Management, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
6 Ph.D. of Management- Operation Research, Department of Management, Faculty of Humanities, Sadjad University, Mashhad, Iran
7 Ph.D. in Healthcare Services Management, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
doi
10.22038/ebcj.2025.81004.3013چکیده
Background: Patient experience of healthcare is crucial in the assessment of healthcare quality, but identifying and prioritizing appropriate metrics remains challenging.Aim: This study was conducted with aim to design a novel approach combining the Delphi method and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) to identify and prioritize patient experience evaluation criteria in healthcare.Method: This mixed-method research, conducted in 2022, validated effective criteria for evaluating patient experience of healthcare through expert consensus using the Delphi process. A comprehensive framework of 12 criteria and 32 sub-criteria was established based on comparative analysis. Experts, specializing in quality improvement, participated in pairwise comparisons to prioritize the criteria. Data were analyzed using FAHP in Excel.Results: Based on a literature review and criteria extracted from the Delphi approach, the criteria of how to communicate with nurses, providing nurses' services, providing doctor's services, how to communicate with doctors, participation of family and relatives, emotional support, physical environment and hoteling, how to discharge from the hospital, respect for Dignity and privacy of the patient, provision of information to the patient, access to necessary drugs and pain management were identified. The expert panel ranked nurse-patient relationship quality as the highest priority (0.279), followed by physician-patient relationship quality (0.241). The least prioritized criterion was the availability of necessary medications (0.0).Implications for Practice: Hospital managers can influence on enhancing hospital service quality. Patient satisfaction can be elevated by hiring proficient nurses and physicians and empowering them to establish effective communication with patients and deliver superior medical services.
