Correlation analysis between single disease quality management and efficiency indicators of a tertiary hospital in China

In the framework of continuous improvement of medical quality, specific (single) disease management has become a key priority. However, the current research on the correlation of various items for single disease management and efficiency indicators of hospitals is insufficient, and an in-depth discussion is urgently needed to optimize management strategies. Therefore, we explored the impact of single disease quality management based on its implementation upon single disease reporting rate, average length of stay (ALOS), and time consumption index (TCI) in clinical departments, to provide a reference for the management of improving hospital efficiency. A single-center, repeated cross-sectional study was conducted across all clinical departments of Chaozhou Central Hospital. Data on the implementation of single disease quality management items, ALOS, and TCI were collected from clinical departments over the second half of 2024. The t-tests were used to compare the single disease reporting rates, ALOS, and TCI in different groups, and the correlation between the management items and the efficiency indicators was further analyzed by using multiple linear regression methods. In this study, the collected data from 174 management records showed that the single disease reporting rate, ALOS, and TCI were (85.330 ± 26.171)%, (7.657 ± 3.708) days, and (1.022 ± 0.246), respectively. Compared with the unqualified groups, the qualified groups in the disease catalog, data monitoring, scoring self-audit, system tracking, case tracking, effectiveness data, and training plans all showed increased single disease reporting rates with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). The results of the multiple linear regression models showed that across the three models, the single disease reporting rate was negatively correlated with both ALOS (Beta= -4.882, 95% CI: -6.959 to -2.804) and TCI ( Beta= -0.382, 95% CI: -0.522 to -0.242), with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the scoring self-audit was correlated with TCI ( Beta= -0.106, 95% CI: -0.193 to -0.018), and this correlation was also statistically significant (P < 0.05). Our single-center study demonstrates that there were differences in single disease reporting rates resulting from different implementations of single disease quality management items. Improving single disease reporting rates contributed to reducing ALOS and TCI. Multi-center studies in other healthcare institutions are still needed to verify the association between single disease quality management and efficiency indicators.