Relationship between clinical governance and hospital performance: a cross-sectional study of psychiatric hospitals in Ghana
Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Health Governance
Abstract
Purpose – Clinical governance (CG) is crucial for healthcare quality of care improvement and safeguarding
high standards of care. Little is known about CG in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors assessed health workers’
perceptions of CG and hospital performance in Ghana’s psychiatric hospitals.
Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 230 health workers
across two psychiatric hospitals in Ghana. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire and analyzed
with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 23.0.
Findings – The majority (59.5%) of the respondents were females. The authors found that less than five in ten
respondents felt that the hospitals have adopted measures to promote quality assurance (43.2%) and research
and development (43.7%). However, a little above half of the respondents felt that the hospitals have adopted
measures to promote education and training (57.7%); clinical audit (52.7%); risk management (50.7%) and
clinical effectiveness (68.6%). The authors also found a statistically significant association between CG and
hospital performance (p < 0.05).
Research limitations/implications – There was a positive relationship between CG and hospital
performance. Therefore, investing in CG may help to increase hospital performance.
Originality/value – This is the maiden study to investigate CG and hospital performance in Ghana’s
psychiatric hospitals and one of the few studies in Africa. This study makes a modest contribution to the global
discourse on the subject matter
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Clinical governance, Hospital performance, Psychiatric hospitals in Ghana, Clinical effectiveness, Quality assurance