Masoumpour SM¹ (MD), Rahimi SH² * (MSc), Kharazmi E³ (PhD), Kavousi Z³ (PhD), Mosalah Nejad H² (MSc), Abedi Z² (BSc)

  ¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

  ² Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

  ³ Department of Health Services Administration, Faculty of Management and Medical Information Sciences,

  Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran

  Received: 26 Sep 2012, Accepted: 23 Jun 2013

  Abstract

  Introduction: Waiting time affects medical services quality and patients' satisfaction. ‌ Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method is the most effective instruments for improving quality and is used to assess customers' needs and increase their satisfaction. ‌ We used the QFD method to identify strategies to reduce waiting times in the emergency department of faghihi hospital in Shiraz, 2012.

  Methods: The major steps of the study included determining the mean of the clients' waiting time, identifying the customers' needs and expectations through interviews ‌ (n=80), identifying the service elements through interviews ‌ (n=15), determining relationship between the patients' expectations and the service elements, determining relationship between the service elements based on the house of quality analysis through QFD Designer software, ‌ designing the service quality model, and presenting strategies.

  Results: The mean waiting time of the clients of the emergency department through 20 processes was 335±98 minutes. ‌ Through identifying 13 ‌ customers' needs and expectations and 20 ‌ service elements, nine service elements were prioritized as the components of service quality model in three levels including: 1) physical space of physician's room 2) ‌ improvement of nursing services, hoteling facilities, inpatient room, and triage space and 3) improvement of guide systems, providing welfare facilities for patients' companions, and improving waiting room.

  Conclusion: Considering patients' expectations, the quality model designed in the present study can be used as a comprehensive guide to improve quality of services provided by the emergency department. However, complexity of the model and time-consuming procedures are among the limitations of using the QFD method.

  Key words: waiting time, quality, quality function deployment, house of quality

  Please cite this article as follows:

  Masoumpour SM, Rahimi SH, Kharazmi E, Kavousi Z, Mosalah Nejad H, Abedi Z. Assessing Waiting Time in Emergency Department of Shahid Faghihi Hospital, Shiraz and Presenting Appropriate Strategies Using Quality Function Deployment (QFD) Method, 2011- 2012. Hakim Research Journal 2013 16(2): 159- 168.

  * Corresponding Author: Sepidar, Yasooj, Kogilooyeh and BoyerAhmad. Postal Code: 7593131633 Tel: +98- 917- 9405450 E-mail: hamedrahimi68@yahoo.com