Development of best performance evaluation indicators based on value-based healthcare for general hospital nursing: A Delphi study

ObjectiveTo establish and validate a set of best nursing practice indicators for medical groups in Chinese general hospitals based on value-based healthcare (VBHC) theory.DesignA modified Delphi method.MethodsThis study engaged experienced clinical nurses from public hospitals and multidisciplinary experts in operations management. Through a literature review and structured brainstorming, a comprehensive framework for assessing best nursing practices in Chinese general hospital medical groups was developed. A modified Delphi method was then employed to establish an indicator framework, followed by the Combined Empowerment-MABAC method to weight and validate the indicators using empirical data collected between June 2023 and October 2023. The CREDES checklist guided the reporting of this study.ResultsSixteen experts, each with at least 10 years of experience in nurse management from nine healthcare organizations, participated in two rounds of consultation. The experts' responses and suggestions for rewording, deleting and adding items were incorporated into each round. Of the 34 proposed indicators, 25 were approved, covering healthcare service capacity, efficiency, quality and safety, patient experience and cost.ConclusionThe Delphi survey reached a consensus on necessary actions to improve nursing performance. The developed indicator system provides a foundational framework for standardizing the monitoring of care quality and performance assessment in Chinese clinical healthcare groups, with broad applicability.Relevance to Clinical PracticeThis study provides a reliable basis for developing a nursing performance assessment database, offering crucial insights for measuring quality of care and improving patient value.Patient or Public ContributionNo Patient or Public Contribution.