Clinical Governance and Health Workers Perceptions of Hospital Performance in Psychiatric Hospitals in Ghana

Abstract

Promoting Clinical Governance among health facilities is critical for healthcare quality improvement. It also ensures transparency, effective risk management and provides educational opportunities for health workers. The main aim of this study was to assess clinical governance and its effect(s) on perceived hospital performance among health workers in Psychiatric hospitals in Ghana. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches and cross-sectional survey were adopted for the study. A total of two hundred and thirty respondents (n=230) were selected for the study, using purposive and simple random sampling techniques. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) version 20.0 and thematic analysis. The study found clinical effectiveness, clinical audit, risk management, quality assurance, research and development, and educational and training as the main clinical governance structures at the two hospitals. The study also found a statistically significant difference between the means of the two hospitals in terms of clinical effectiveness, risk management and quality assurance. A statistically significant association was found between clinical effectiveness, clinical audit, risk management, quality assurance and type of facility. The main strategies mostly used in the implementation of clinical governance activities in the two hospitals were teamwork, communication, and auditing of all activities at the hospital. Clinical Governance implementation was more effective in Pantang Psychiatric Hospital than at Accra Psychiatric Hospital. Again, the relationship between clinical governance dimensions and health workers perception of hospital performance was found to be positively related. The challenges that were identified to be hampering the effective implementation of clinical governance activities at the two hospitals and addressing these challenges will promote effective implementation of clinical governance activities which will also lead to an increase in the performance of hospitals.