Explaining the quality index of obstetric triage

Due to repeat emergency patients, the high quality obstetrics and gynecology triage is essential in the obstetrics and gynecology department. Given the importance of improving the healthcare quality, clarifying the aspects and features of the concept of obstetric triage quality would be helpful for determining criteria and standardization of obstetric triage quality. Therefore, the aim of the study was to explain the quality index of obstetric triage.

Methods & Materials: 

This qualitative study was conducted using a directed content analysis method on 15 participants. Participants included obstetric triage service providers and key specialists in obstetric triage. The data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was performed using the MAXQDA software version 10.

At this stage of the study, conducted with in-depth, semi-structured interviews, 824 initial codes and 97 merged codes were extracted. The quality of obstetric triage was explained by three main themes, including process quality, structure quality and outcome. The concept of process quality included 35 codes in two sub-categories: actions and care, interactions and communications. Structure quality included 51 codes in five sub-categories: routine and process of triage, pattern and standard, equipment, physical space, and manpower. Outcome included eleven codes in five sub-categories: waiting time, satisfaction, physical implication, psychological implication, and cost.

The index of obstetric triage quality is influenced by the quality of the process (actions and care, communications), the quality of the structure (routine and process of triage, pattern and standard, equipment, physical space, manpower), and outcome (waiting time, satisfaction, physical implication, psychological implication and cost).