{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,4]],"date-time":"2026-04-04T01:22:17Z","timestamp":1775265737355,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":15,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]],"date-time":"2025-07-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753228800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":22,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, University of Thessaly, Greece"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>According to the World Health Organization, the situational analysis process that establishes the current \u201cstate of quality\u201d of a country\u2019s health system, is the foundational step to identifying the strategic directions of a National Quality Program for Quality of Care. This analysis that assesses relevant priorities, challenges, capacities, governance structures, and available resources, provides the basis for designing and implementing the appropriate program to support healthcare quality and patient safety improvements. Although there is a number of international standards related to quality and safety control, there is an undeniable need identified for a pragmatic method, incorporating clinical aspects, to determine the minimum required criteria for quality assurance and patient safety. This paper describes the development of a compliance assessment framework for quality and patient safety using a novel methodology covering also country-specific criteria to be utilized at an organizational and national level as a situational analysis tool.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>This study outlines the methodology for the development of the Mapping tool for Quality and Patient Safety (MaQPS) and its implementation as a unified framework for assessing quality and patient safety compliance in hospital settings. The criteria integrated within the tool are reference-based and derive from European and national legislation, international patient safety standards as defined by international authoritative organizations (e.g. the World Health Organization), and scientific associations\u2019 guidelines. Furthermore, the study presents the validation process including the applied case studies that were used to evaluate functionality, contextual relevance and scalability of the tool.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The Mapping tool for Quality and Patient Safety compliance tool (MaQPS) and its design methodology differ from most approaches to healthcare assessment sets of criteria, as this instrument incorporates patient safety and clinical aspects within a quality assessment framework. The tool provides a systematic approach and a practical and traceable pathway, for identifying gaps and, facilitate benchmarking among healthcare providers. Additionally, it is a unique approach to enable evidence-based decision making in the field of national quality policies in healthcare.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>While standardization and third-party inspections enhance quality improvement processes and clinical outcomes, many health systems face significant challenges in treating healthcare needs effectively with qualitative results and positive clinical outcomes. The adoption of MaQPS as a decision-support tool will acquaint health systems with the structured knowledge to build up effective quality and safety national policies in the delivery of care.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/intqhc\/mzaf068","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]],"date-time":"2025-07-23T18:32:00Z","timestamp":1753295520000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["A unified approach assessing Hospitals\u2019 Quality and Patient Safety Compliance at organizational and national level using an evidence-based Mapping Tool"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"37","author":[{"given":"Angeliki","family":"Katsapi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Euro-Mediterranean Institute Quality & Safety in Healthcare services, Avedis Donabedian Eleutheriou Venizelou 58, Athens 10678,","place":["Greece"]},{"name":"Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, University of Thessaly , Papasiopoulou 2-4, Lamia 35131,","place":["Greece"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Haralampos","family":"Karanikas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, University of Thessaly , Papasiopoulou 2-4, Lamia 35131,","place":["Greece"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dafni","family":"Kaitelidou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , Papadiamantopoulou 123, Athens 11527,","place":["Greece"]},{"name":"National Agency for Quality of Health , Pyrri 5, Athens 11527,","place":["Greece"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Eleftherios","family":"Thireos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Agency for Quality of Health , Pyrri 5, Athens 11527,","place":["Greece"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Aggeliki","family":"Karaiskou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Agency for Quality of Health , Pyrri 5, Athens 11527,","place":["Greece"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maria Anastasia","family":"Tsana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Euro-Mediterranean Institute Quality & Safety in Healthcare services, Avedis Donabedian Eleutheriou Venizelou 58, Athens 10678,","place":["Greece"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fotios","family":"Rizos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Euro-Mediterranean Institute Quality & Safety in Healthcare services, Avedis Donabedian Eleutheriou Venizelou 58, Athens 10678,","place":["Greece"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025100816215908300_mzaf068-B1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healthpol.2019.11.006","article-title":"Review of 128 quality of care mechanisms: a framework and mapping for health system stewards","volume":"124","author":"Tello","year":"2020","journal-title":"Health Policy"},{"key":"2025100816215908300_mzaf068-B2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0294180","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0294180","article-title":"Impact of hospital accreditation on quality improvement in healthcare: a systematic review","volume":"18","author":"Alhawajreh","year":"2023","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"2025100816215908300_mzaf068-B3","volume-title":"Health Care Accreditation and Quality of Care: Exploring the Role of Accreditation and External Evaluation of Health Care Facilities and Organizations","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2022"},{"key":"2025100816215908300_mzaf068-B4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"226","DOI":"10.26719\/2015.21.3.226","article-title":"Accreditation is not a stand-alone solution","volume":"21","author":"Shaw","year":"2015","journal-title":"East Mediterr Health J"},{"key":"2025100816215908300_mzaf068-B5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e059207","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2021-059207","article-title":"How can the healthcare system deliver sustainable performance? 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