title: Preliminary development of humanistic care indicators for residents in nursing homes: a Delphi technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The overwhelming majority of residents among nursing homes are the elderly in Taiwan. Previous studies have shown the dissatisfaction with care from the viewpoints of nursing home residents. For improving the care quality of nursing homes, the study aims to develop humanistic care indicators (HCIs).
  
  
  METHODS
  The Delphi technique was used to develop the HCIs through the consensus of 23 experts. Through three rounds of questionnaires, the expert panel reached a consensus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four HCIs for nursing home were identified and grouped into eight elements: friendly environment, holistic care, empathy, individualization, autonomy, decision-making participation, appropriate use of tools, and serious assessment of customer opinion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study compiled related literature and conducted a Delphi survey to transform humanistic care from an abstract concept into concrete indicators for evaluation. These findings could serve as a guideline for the care providers in nursing homes. Further studies are needed to test the practicability of HCIs and evaluate the outcomes of applying HCIs in nursing homes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Electronic address: hhwang@kmu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Hsiu-Hung
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D003697:Delphi Technique; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000592:standards*; D006808:Humanism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000592:standards*; D009739:Nursing Services / Q000592:standards*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan
keywords: Delphi technique; nursing homes; quality indicators