Criteria set in 2023 for hospitals in the national health system (Gesy) have produced their first results, with a 92 per cent improvement of the quality of services provided, health insurance organisation (HIO) said on Monday.

HIO called on all patients to fill in the questionnaires sent out by email, as their opinion counted towards bringing about improvements.

After concluding the first evaluation of the quality criteria it set across all hospitals in Gesy in September 2023, the HIO handed the results to its board on January 16.

The criteria included patient characteristics, quality measurements, safety indices and hospital capabilities, and meeting the criteria determined the compensation paid to each hospital, with those meeting more criteria getting more money.

In its conclusions, the HIO said the criteria led to significant improvements in hospitals.

Specifically, since the criteria were introduced, four hospitals have been accredited, while 39 others are currently in the process of doing so.

Accreditation procedures encourage hospitals to implement documented practices and quality standards, and to enhance patient safety by observing protocols to prevent medical errors.

Regarding the quality of discharges, the HIO issued guidelines for properly discharging patients, leading to a 92 per cent quality improvement compared to discharge procedures before the criteria were introduced.

Properly filling in discharge forms produced advantages for the patients who now have full knowledge of what took place during treatment and receive instructions in writing on follow-up visits wherever necessary.

It also helps other medical professionals to have a clear picture of the patient’s treatment.
Patient feedback was also helpful, as it indicated that nine out of ten were happy with their treatment in hospital.

The patient characteristic criterion aimed at addressing elderly patients with multiple health problems.
According to the evaluation, 40 to 45 per cent of hospitals meet the criteria set, a percentage that was the same before and after the criteria were introduced.

The HIO also set 12 safety and quality indices, for which the hospitals gather information and send it to the organisation every four months.

These indices include hospital infections, antibiotics, surgery complications and mortality.
A 92 per cent improvement was recorded among hospitals that submitted the information.
After the HIO examines the information, it sets goals for each hospital.

Regarding the correctness of codification in the framework of the diagnosis-related group (DRG) system, the HIO said proper codification led to fairer compensation of those hospitals.

The evaluation revealed a 31 per cent improvement in the correct codification of hospitals.