Prioritizing Public- Private Partnership Models for Public Hospitals of Iran Based on Performance Indicators

Background: The present study was conducted to scrutinize Public- Private Partnership (PPP) models in public hospitals of different countries based on performance indicators in order to se-lect appropriated models for Iran hospitals.Methods: In this mixed (quantitative-qualitative) study, systematic review and expert panel hasbeen done to identify varied models of PPP as well as performance indicators. In the second stepwe prioritized performance indicator and PPP models based on selected performance indicatorsby Analytical Hierarchy process (AHP) technique. The data were analyzed by Excel 2007 andExpert Choice11 software’s.Results: In quality – effectiveness area, indicators like the rate of hospital infections(100%), hospital accidents prevalence rate (73%), pure rate of hospital mortality (63%), patientsatisfaction percentage (53%), in accessibility equity area indicators such as average inpatientwaiting time (100%) and average outpatient waiting time (74%), and in financial – efficiency area,indicators including average length of stay (100%), bed occupation ratio (99%), specific incometo total cost ratio (97%) have been chosen to be the most key performance indicators. In the prioritizationof the PPP models clinical outsourcing, management, privatization, BOO (build, own,operate) and non-clinical outsourcing models, achieved high priority for various performance indicatorareas.Conclusion: This study had been provided the most common PPP options in the field of public hospitals and had gathered suitable evidences from experts for choosing appropriate PPP option for public hospitals. Effect of private sector presence in public hospital performance, based on which PPP options undertaken, will be different

Adequacy of prenatal care and its association with pregnancy outcomes: A comparison of indices in Tabriz, Iran

Introduction: Improving of mother and child health is one of the most important and essential roles of public health agencies and millennium development goals. The aim of this study was to determine rates of prenatal care (PNC) utilization in Tabriz, Iran, from 1994-2013 and compare the two most commonly used models of PNC utilized in determining the proportion of the pregnant woman receiving inadequate PNC and comparing use of two indices. Methods: In this study, we conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of 2834 women having a health record in care center of the rural region in Tabriz for 20 years. We used questioner that validated in the study Jabbari et al. for obtaining data. Random sampling quotes were done in 3 times during the years 1994-2013. Results: We found that 53% of mothers received adequate care by adequate PNC utilization (APNCU) index, but 17% by revised-GINDEX index but the most important objective of our study was identifying the relationship between adequacy of PNC and pregnancy outcome. On the other hand, the study indicated that between inadequate care and low birth weight (LBW), mother weight gaining, birth height exists significant association, but there is no meaningful correlation between birth weight and adequacy of care (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The study analyzed the effect of PNC utilization on birth outcomes and suggested that PNC decrease LBW through both increasing gestational age as well as improving fetal growth at the same time it improves birth height and mother weight gaining. All findings of this study emphasize the need for health policies to improve utilization and access PNC

Selecting Hospital\'s Key Performance Indicators, Using Analytic Hierarchy Process Technique

Introduction: hospitals performance indicators will help monitoring, evaluation and decision making and therefore must be selected and ranked accurately. The aim of present study is identifying and selecting key hospitals performance indicators. Materials and methods: This is a descriptive and mixed (quantitative-qualitative) study. literature review and expert panel has been done to identify all performance indicators. we prioritize performance indicators by Analytical Hierarchy process (AHP) technique. The data were analyzed by Excel 2007 and Expert Choice11 software’s. Results: hospital performance indicators are classified to three areas as quality- effectiveness, efficiency- financing and accessibility – equity. Indicators like the rate of hospital average length of stay in hospital based on different diagnosis and the mean rate of inpatient waiting time are considered with highest priority performance indicators of public hospitals. Conclusion: Identifying hospital’s key performance indicators provides an opportunity for health stakeholders to identify critical and problematic points with lower costs and time and to the best correction action