[The QUALI Project: a quality study of the structure of the primary care teams (PCT) of Catalonia. The Quality Improvement Commission of the Societat Catalana de Medicina Familiar i Comunitària].
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the compliance with the primary health care quality criteria of the Committee for Quality Improvement of the Catalan Society of Family and Community Medicine.


METHODS
Cross-sectional descriptive study.


METHODS
Reformed primary care centres (PCC) in Catalonia (186), of which 73 (39.2%) filled out the disk with the results.


RESULTS
A total of 202 criteria, divided into five sections (structure and material resources, human resources, work organisation, systems of recording and access, and continuity, confidentiality and participation), were self-evaluated in each PCC. These criteria were defined as basic or optimal and compliance with them was graded from 1 to 4. 72.8% of the criteria were fully complied with. In 7.4% there was partial compliance, and in 19.7% non-compliance. The basic criteria had 74% total compliance, whereas the optimal criteria had 51.9%. The groups with least compliance (sum of the total plus the partial) were records systems (68.6%) and human resources (73.5%). The organisation group had the best compliance (85.5%). By sub-groups, the greatest compliance was found in privacy (93.7%), direct care (89.2%) and recording actions (89.1%). Sub-groups with least compliance were long-term treatments (61.8%), vaccinations (46.4%) and storage (42%). Eight of the 18 criteria not complied with by 50% or more were considered responsibility of the team. There was 37.8% total compliance and 24% partial in the criteria referring to the specific training of primary care professionals. Up to 80% non-compliance was found in quality of long-term prescription records, vaccinations and storage.


CONCLUSIONS
The high level of compliance in the sections which depend most on professionals should be noted (accessibility-continuity and organisation). This study is a first approach towards understanding the quality of the structure of PC in Catalonia, and enables proposals for improvement to be set up.
Botinas
M
M
Centro de Salud Gòtic, Barcelona.
Sant
E
E
Casajuana
J
J
Zapater
F
F
Bueno
J M
JM
D003154:Community Medicine; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013030:Spain; D000078329:Workforce