[Measuring the impact of performance indicators on improving the quality of health services: An applied study on the Taif Directorate of Health Affairs]

Abstract

This study examined the effect of performance indicators on improving the quality of health services in the Directorate of Health Affairs in Taif Governorate, Saudi Arabia, and whether those indicators are sufficient to achieve improvement in the quality of the health services provided. A descriptive-analytical method was used. The study population comprised the 1,486 staff of the Directorate of Health Affairs in Taif Governorate, from which a simple random sample of 353 employees was drawn; a questionnaire was judged the instrument most suited to the study's objectives. The study found moderate agreement among respondents regarding performance indicators and staff job satisfaction, as well as the achievement of the Directorate's objectives and strategic plans, the consistency of service levels and the satisfaction of service users. There was likewise moderate agreement on the importance of performance indicators, on making use of and developing the full latent capacity of human resources, on the availability of an environment conducive to full participation in the workplace, and on the optimal management of human resources within the Directorate. Performance indicators were found to have a clear effect on the quality of the health services provided, while the level of job performance among staff was moderate. A statistically significant positive relationship was found between senior management commitment, the measurement of performance indicators, and improvement in the quality of health services. The study recommends drawing on information-technology-based organisational changes in human resources to strengthen transparency and clarity in staff duties, using the information available from training programmes to build individual capacity for cooperative work, and using the Directorate's comprehensive electronic performance-appraisal systems to develop staff capability.