title: [Development of a structural capacity index for oncological surgery in acute hospitals].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study of the impact of structure on outcomes has mainly been focused on the number procedures. The aim of our study was to develop a structure capacity index for hospitals for oncological surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study by means of a questionnaire related to the structural characteristics of hospitals that had performed gastrointestinal oncological surgery in Catalonia during 2004. Variables were considered for the index according to their measurement and conceptual properties.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A response was obtained from 37 out of 48 hospitals. Variables with good conceptual and measurement properties (Cronbach alpha 0.92 and Item-Total correlation >0.7) were included in the index. These variables were related to teaching, management and technology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The index has acceptable levels of reliability and validity, and can be a useful tool to classify hospitals according to their technological characteristics and management strategies.
authors.affiliation: Agència d'Avaluació de Tecnologia i Recerca Mèdiques, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tebé Cordomí
authors.forename: Cari
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Almazán Sáez
authors.forename: Mireia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Espallargues Carreras
authors.forename: Emília
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sánchez Ruíz
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mv Pons
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pla Farnós
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006276:Health Facility Size / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013030:Spain; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires