title: A quality assessment index framework for public health services: a Delphi study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study sought consensus-based indices for quality assessment of the public health service (QAPHS) to evaluate the service quality of public health in Shenzhen and other cities in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A list of quality assessment indices was formed based on Donabedian theory. These indices were presented to an expert panel in a two-round Delphi study to establish a consensus view. A weight of indices was established to validate the applicability and practicability of the framework. The specialist authority coefficient and Kendall's W were also calculated based on statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 30 experts participated in the Delphi study. Consensus was reached on four first-grade indices, nine second-grade indices and 28 third-grade indices. The specialist authority coefficient (Cr) was high (between 0.88 and 0.92), while Kendall's coefficient (W) of all the indices was ＞0.5 with statistical significant differences (P ＜ 0.05). This indicated correlation among panelists and had high reliability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A unified and hierarchical quality assessment index framework for public health services was established. The framework should be further tested and improved in practice.
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 8 Longyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China. Electronic address: zhaozhiguang@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Z G
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 8 Longyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China. Electronic address: cjinquan@szcdc.net.
authors.forename: J Q
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 8 Longyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China. Electronic address: christylele@126.com.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, No. 8 Longyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, China. Electronic address: 494466593@qq.com.
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Postbus 2040, 3000, CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.richardus@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Richardus
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D032921:Consensus; D003697:Delphi Technique; D006801:Humans; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013038:Specialization
keywords: Delphi; Index; Public health service; Quality assessment