Abstract
Background: Assessing the quality of care has become increasingly important to health care providers, regulators and purchasers of care.
Aims: This study assessed the quality of care provided to children with cerebral palsy attending Alexandria University Children's Hospital, Egypt.
Methods: Paediatric neurology residents (n = 15) who provided care to children with cerebral palsy at the hospital completed a structured checklist assessing their compliance with generic care standards. The medical records of 84 children with cerebral palsy who received care at the hospital were reviewed using the same checklist. Another checklist was completed by the head of the paediatric neurology unit, medical director of the hospital, head of physical medicine and head nurse to assess adherence to process and service improvement standards. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the caregivers/parents of the children using a client satisfaction questionnaire.
Results: Based on what was reported by health care providers, most did not adhere to the recommended practices in the care of children with cerebral palsy. Review of the medical records also showed a lack of compliance with standards. The mean total satisfaction percentage score of parents/caregivers was 55.43% (SD 18.16). Satisfaction was particularly low for waiting time, waiting area and availability of required facilities for their child's care.
Conclusions: There is a wide gap between the actual care provided to children with cerebral palsy and the recommended standards. Moreover, the documentation system in the hospital is poor. A quality improvement plan is needed for the provision of care to children with cerebral palsy.