Hospital accreditation in Mexico fails to improve the quality of healthcare: lessons from an impact evaluation.

Healthcare quality in low- and middle-income countries poses a significant challenge, contributing to heightened mortality rates from treatable conditions. The accreditation of health facilities was part of the former health reform in Mexico, proposed as a mechanism to enhance healthcare quality. This study assesses the performance of hospital accreditation in Mexico, utilizing indicators of effectiveness, efficiency, and safety. Employing a longitudinal approach with controlled interrupted time series analysis (C-ITSA) and fixed effects panel analysis, administrative data from general hospitals in Mexico is scrutinized. Results reveal that hospital accreditation in Mexico fails to enhance healthcare quality and, disconcertingly, indicates deteriorating performance associated with increased hospital mortality. Amidst underfunded health services, the implemented accreditation model proves inadequately designed to uplift care quality. A fundamental redesign of the public hospital accreditation model is imperative, emphasizing incentives for structural enhancement and standardized processes. Addressing the critical challenge of improving care quality is urgent for Mexico's healthcare system, necessitating swift action to achieve effective access as a benchmark for universal healthcare coverage.

Changes in experienced quality of oncological cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic based on patient reported outcomes - a cross-sectional study.

AIM: The study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer patients' perceptions of the quality of their oncological treatment and care. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare delivery and oncological resources were repurposed, potentially leading to prolonged treatment and reduced access to innovative therapies and clinical trials. Still, little is known about how patients perceived the quality of their treatment. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the spring of 2020 among cancer patients at the Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital and Rigshospitalet, Denmark. Patients were invited to complete an online questionnaire on clinical, socioeconomic, emotional, behavioural, and quality-related aspects of oncological cancer care. Patients who experienced reduced treatment quality and those who reported no or slight reductions were compared using multiple logistic regression, exploring the associations with patient characteristics, behaviours, and fear of cancer progression or recurrence. RESULTS: A total of 2,040/5,372 patients experienced changes in their treatment plans during the pandemic, and 1,570/5,372 patients experienced reduced treatment quality, with 236 reporting a high degree of reduction. Patients with breast, head and neck, and upper gastrointestinal cancers were more likely to experience reduced treatment quality. Altered interactions with healthcare providers, along with isolation, lack of social support, and heightened fear of cancer progression, were significant risk factors for experiencing reduced cancer care quality. INTERPRETATION: We identified subgroups of cancer patients needing targeted communication and care during health crises affecting cancer treatment. The findings underscore the importance of safeguarding the needs of vulnerable patient populations in future healthcare emergencies.

Hospital-to-Home-Health Transition Quality (H3TQ) Index: Further Evidence on its Validity and Recommendations for Implementation.

BACKGROUND: We developed the Hospital-to-Home-Health Transition Quality (H3TQ) Index for skilled home healthcare (HH) agencies to identify threats to safe, high-quality care transitions in real time. OBJECTIVE: Assess the validity of H3TQ in a large sample across diverse communities. RESEARCH DESIGN: A survey of recently hospitalized older adults referred for skilled HH services and their HH provider at two large HH agencies in Baltimore, MD, and New York, NY. SUBJECTS: There were five hundred eighty-seven participants (309 older adults, 141 informal caregivers, and 137 HH providers). Older adults, caregivers, and HH providers rated 747 unique transitions. Of these, 403 were rated by both the older adult/caregiver and their HH provider, whereas the remaining transitions were rated by either party. MEASURES: Construct, concurrent, and predictive validity were assessed via the overall H3TQ rating, correlation with the care transition measure (CTM), and the Medicare Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS). RESULTS: Proportion of transitions with quality issues as identified by HH providers and older adults/caregivers, respectively; Baltimore 55%, 35%; NYC 43%, 32%. Older adults/caregivers across sites rated their transitions as higher quality than did providers (P<0.05). H3TQ summed scores showed construct validity with the CTM-3 and concurrent validity with OASIS measures. Summed H3TQ scores were not significantly correlated with 30-day ED visits or rehospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: The H3TQ identifies care transition quality issues in real-time and demonstrated construct and concurrent validity, but not predictive validity. Findings demonstrate value in collecting multiple perspectives to evaluate care transition quality. Implementing the H3TQ could help identify transition-quality intervention opportunities for HH patients.

Quality of Care Transition for COVID-19 Patients in a University Hospital in Southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of care transition from hospital to home for COVID-19 patients. METHOD: A cross-sectional study conducted at a University Hospital in Southern Brazil, involving 78 patients discharged after COVID-19 hospitalization. Data collection was performed via telephone using the Brazilian version of the Care Transitions Measure (CTM-15). Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics. RESULTS: The mean quality of care transition was 70.8 on a scale ranging from zero to 100, indicating moderate quality of care transition. The highest score was attributed to factor 1, "Preparation for self-management," and the lowest to factor 4, "Care Plan." CONCLUSIONS: It is important to enhance communication and support provided to patients during the transition process, especially regarding understanding prescribed medications and the development of clear care plans.

Patient Safety Domains in Primary Healthcare: A Systematic Review.

Background: Healthcare systems should ensure the provision of quality services to patients without harming them. However, the provision of services is occasionally accompanied by harm or complications, most of which are preventable. Most studies have focused on secondary healthcare rather than primary healthcare (PHC). Thus, this study aimed to identify various dimensions and components of patient safety in PHC worldwide. Methods: This systematic review study was conducted in November 2022 based on PRISMA reporting guidelines. Studies were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and EMBASE and searched for English documents using the keywords "patient safety" and "PHC" from 2000 to 2022. Finally, two reviewers extracted the data independently and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results: Overall, 23 out of the initially 4937 identified articles were selected for the final analysis based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most of these studies used a qualitative-quantitative approach (61.9%, seven studies for both), and 64% had been conducted in European countries. Eventually, five dimensions and 22 components were identified for patient safety in PHC, including management measures, quality management, resources and technology, documents, and patient-related factors. Conclusion: The patient safety dimensions and components identified in this research can help develop a clear definition of patient safety and its assessment standards and criteria in PHC. Considering that most previous studies on patient safety in PHC were conducted in European and developed countries, it is suggested that researchers conduct more studies in developing countries to fill this research gap.

Quality of healthcare services to reduce leprosy in Brazil: a trend analysis from 2001 to 2020.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the temporal trend of healthcare services quality indicators to reduce leprosy in Brazil, over a 20-year period. METHODS: This is an epidemiological study with a temporal trend, whose data were extracted from the Notifiable Diseases Information System. Indicators were constructed from the Ministry of Health Technical-Operational Manual that presents the Guidelines for Surveillance, Care and Elimination of Leprosy as a Public Health Problem. For trend analysis of the selected indicators, the Prais-Winsten model was used and the Average Annual Growth Rate (AAGR) was also calculated. RESULTS: In the 20-year time series investigated here, 732,959 cases of leprosy were reported in Brazil. The trend was stationary for: new leprosy cases cure rate (ß=-0.000; p=0.196; AAGR=-0.2), new leprosy cases drop out rate (ß=-0.001; p=0.147; AAGR=-0.4), new leprosy cases contact tracing rate (ß=-0.001; p=0.112; AAGR=1.6), new cases of leprosy with degree physical disability assessment rate among new cases (ß=-0.000; p=0.196; AAGR=-0.2) and cases cured in the year with the degree of physical disability assessed (ß=0.002; p=0.265; AAGR=0.5); while the indicator of recurrence rate among cases reported in the year (ß=0.019; p<0.001; AAGR=0.5) showed an increasing trend. CONCLUSION: Based on the evaluation of indicators to assess the quality of healthcare services to reduce leprosy, it was evident that Brazil has major challenges for its full implementation, with improvements being necessary in the quality of care service offered to the population.

The impact of an innovative payment method on medical expenditure, efficiency, and quality for inpatients with different types of medical insurance: evidence from a pilot city, China.

BACKGROUND: Since 2020, China has implemented an innovative payment method called Diagnosis-Intervention Packet (DIP) in 71 cities nationwide. This study aims to assess the impact of DIP on medical expenditure, efficiency, and quality for inpatients covered by the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) and Urban and Rural Residents Basic Medical Insurance (URRBMI). It seeks to explore whether there are differences in these effects among inpatients of the two insurance types, thereby further understanding its implications for health equity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted interrupted time series analyses on outcome variables reflecting medical expenditure, efficiency, and quality for both UEBMI and URRBMI inpatients, based on a dataset comprising 621,125 inpatient reimbursement records spanning from June 2019 to June 2023 in City A. This dataset included 110,656 records for UEBMI inpatients and 510,469 records for URRBMI inpatients. RESULTS: After the reform, the average expenditure per hospital admission for UEBMI inpatients did not significantly differ but continued to follow an upward pattern. In contrast, for URRBMI inpatients, the trend shifted from increasing before the reform to decreasing after the reform, with a decline of 0.5%. The average length of stay for UEBMI showed no significant changes after the reform, whereas there was a noticeable downward trend in the average length of stay for URRBMI. The out-of-pocket expenditure (OOP) per hospital admission, 7-day all-cause readmission rate and 30-day all-cause readmission rate for both UEBMI and URRBMI inpatients showed a downward trend after the reform. CONCLUSION: The DIP reform implemented different upper limits on budgets based on the type of medical insurance, leading to varying post-treatment prices for UEBMI and URRBMI inpatients within the same DIP group. After the DIP reform, the average expenditure per hospital admission and the average length of stay remained unchanged for UEBMI inpatients, whereas URRBMI inpatients experienced a decrease. This trend has sparked concerns about hospitals potentially favoring UEBMI inpatients. Encouragingly, both UEBMI and URRBMI inpatients have seen positive outcomes in terms of alleviating patient financial burdens and enhancing the quality of care.

Quality and resilience of clinical laboratories in Rwanda: a need for sustainable strategies.

BACKGROUND: Quality healthcare is a global priority, reliant on robust health systems for evidence-based medicine. Clinical laboratories are the backbone of quality healthcare facilitating diagnostics, treatment, patient monitoring, and disease surveillance. Their effectiveness depends on sustainable delivery of accurate test results. Although the Strengthening Laboratory Management Towards Accreditation (SLMTA) programme has enhanced laboratory quality in low-income countries, the long-term sustainability of this improvement remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To explore the sustainability of quality performance in clinical laboratories in Rwanda following the conclusion of SLMTA. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was adopted, involving 47 laboratories divided into three groups with distinct interventions. While one group received continuous mentorship and annual assessments (group two), interventions for the other groups (groups one and three) ceased following the conclusion of SLMTA. SLMTA experts collected data for 10 years through assessments using WHO's StepwiseLaboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) checklist. Descriptive and t-test analyses were conducted for statistical evaluation. RESULTS: Improvements in quality were noted between baseline and exit assessments across all laboratory groups (mean baseline: 35.3%, exit: 65.8%, p < 0.001). However, groups one and three experienced performance declines following SLMTA phase-out (mean group one: 64.6% in reference to 85.8%, p = 0.01; mean group three: 57.3% in reference to 64.7%, p < 0.001). In contrast, group two continued to enhance performance even years later (mean: 86.6%compared to 70.6%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: A coordinated implementation of quality improvement plan that enables regular laboratory assessments to pinpoint and address the quality gaps is essential for sustaining quality services in clinical laboratories.

Main findings: We found that continuous laboratory quality improvement was achieved by laboratories that kept up with regular follow-ups, as opposed to those which phased out these followups prematurely.Added knowledge: This study has affirmed the necessity of maintaining mentorship and conducting regular quality assessments until requisite quality routines are established to sustain laboratory quality services.Global health impact for policy and action: These findings emphasise the significance of instituting a laboratory quality plan, with regular assessments, as policy directives to uphold and enhance quality standards, which benefits both local and global communities, given the pivotal role of laboratories in patient treatment, disease prevention, and surveillance.

Improving quality of care by standardising patient data collection in electronic medical records in an oncology department in Spain.

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of quality of care in oncology is key in ensuring patients receive adequate treatment. American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) Certification Program (QCP) is an international initiative that evaluates quality of care in outpatient oncology practices. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed free-text electronic medical records from patients with breast cancer (BR), colorectal cancer (CRC) or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In a baseline measurement, high scores were obtained for the nine disease-specific measures of QCP Track (2021 version had 26 measures); thus, they were not further analysed. We evaluated two sets of measures: the remaining 17 QCP Track measures, as well as these plus other 17 measures selected by us (combined measures). Review of data from 58 patients (26 BR; 18 CRC; 14 NSCLC) seen in June 2021 revealed low overall quality scores (OQS)-below ASCO's 75% threshold-for QCP Track measures (46%) and combined measures (58%). We developed a plan to improve OQS and monitored the impact of the intervention by abstracting data at subsequent time points. RESULTS: We evaluated potential causes for the low OQS and developed a plan to improve it over time by educating oncologists at our hospital on the importance of improving collection of measures and highlighting the goal of applying for QOPI certification. We conducted seven plan-do-study-act cycles and evaluated the scores at seven subsequent data abstraction time points from November 2021 to December 2022, reviewing 404 patients (199 BR; 114 CRC; 91 NSCLC). All measures were improved. Four months after the intervention, OQS surpassed the quality threshold and was maintained for 10 months until the end of the study (range, 78-87% for QCP Track measures; 78-86% for combined measures). CONCLUSIONS: We developed an easy-to-implement intervention that achieved a fast improvement in OQS, enabling our Medical Oncology Department to aim for QOPI certification.

Digital home care interventions and quality of primary care for older adults: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Population aging is forcing the transformation of health care. Long-term care in the home is complex and involves complex communication with primary care services. In this scenario, the expansion of digital health has the potential to improve access to home-based primary care; however, the use of technologies can increase inequalities in access to health for an important part of the population. The aim of this study was to identify and map the uses and types of digital health interventions and their impacts on the quality of home-based primary care for older adults. METHODS: This is a broad and systematized scoping review with rigorous synthesis of knowledge directed by the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, and the qualitative data were analyzed through basic qualitative content analysis, considering the organizational, relational, interpersonal and technical dimensions of care. The preliminary results were subjected to consultation with stakeholders to identify strengths and limitations, as well as potential forms of socialization. RESULTS: The mapping showed the distribution of publications in 18 countries and in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Older adults have benefited from the use of different digital health strategies; however, this review also addresses limitations and challenges, such as the need for digital literacy and technological infrastructure. In addition to the impacts of technologies on the quality of health care. CONCLUSIONS: The review gathered priority themes for the equitable implementation of digital health, such as access to home caregivers and digital tools, importance of digital literacy and involvement of patients and their caregivers in health decisions and design of technologies, which must be prioritized to overcome limitations and challenges, focusing on improving quality of life, shorter hospitalization time and autonomy of older adults.

Quality of palliative and end-of-life care: a qualitative study of experts' recommendations to improve indicators in Quebec (Canada).

BACKGROUND: In 2021, the National Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) (Quebec, Canada), published an update of the palliative and end-of-life care (PEoLC) indicators. Using these updated indicators, this qualitative study aimed to explore the point of view of PEoLC experts on how to improve access and quality of care as well as policies surrounding end-of-life care. METHODS: Semi-directed interviews were conducted with palliative care and policy experts, who were asked to share their interpretations on the updated indicators and their recommendations to improve PEoLC. A thematic analysis method was used. RESULTS: The results highlight two categories of interpretations and recommendations pertaining to: (1) data and indicators and (2) clinical and organizational practice. Participants highlight the lack of reliability and quality of the data and indicators used by political and clinical stakeholders in evaluating PEoLC. To improve data and indicators, they recommend: improving the rigour and quality of collected data, assessing death percentages in all healthcare settings, promoting research on quality of care, comparing data to EOL care directives, assessing use of services in EOL, and creating an observatory on PEoLC. Participants also identified barriers and disparities in accessing PEoLC as well as inconsistency in quality of care. To improve PEoLC, they recommend: early identification of palliative care patients, improving training for all healthcare professionals, optimizing professional practice, integrating interdisciplinary teams, and developing awareness on access disparities. CONCLUSIONS: Results show that PEoLC is an important aspect of public health. Recommendations issued are relevant to improve PEoLC in and outside Quebec.

Relevance of meeting general outpatients' information needs to their perceptions of healthcare quality in a hospital in Ghana: a Healthcare Quality Survey using modified SERVQUAL analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients determine quality of healthcare by their perception of the gap between the healthcare they experience/receive and that which they expect. This can be influenced by the ability of healthcare staff to adequately communicate information about the healthcare provided. This study assessed the level of relevance of meeting patients' information needs with respect to their assessment of healthcare quality in a private hospital's general outpatient department in Ghana. DESIGN: Study design was cross-sectional using exit self-administered questionnaires among 390 outpatients. Healthcare quality was measured using a modified form of the Service Quality model gap analysis (gap between experience and expectations). A negative gap signifies unmet patient expectations. Microsoft Excel and Stata V.15.0 were used for analysis using t-test and multiple linear regression. A p value ≤0.05 denotes statistical significance. FINDINGS: The mean percentage of patients' expectations of quality of healthcare was 87.6% (SE 0.031), while patient experience was 86.0% (SE 0.029), with a significant negative gap of -0.08 (p<0.002). Their highest expectation of the quality of healthcare was for their information needs to be met, with a mean score of 4.44 (SE 0.03). Two of the four items under the information needs dimension that showed no statistically significant gaps were 'saying all their problems' (gap=0.00; p<0.9) and 'explanation of treatment/medications' (gap=0.01; p<0.6). Those with statistically significant negative gaps were 'explanation of investigations and procedures' (gap=-0.18; p<0.0001) and 'explanation of the diagnoses' (gap=-0.11; p<0.02), signifying unmet expectations. CONCLUSIONS: The outpatient's greatest need for quality healthcare in this study was for their information needs to be met. Providing information on patient diagnoses and investigations are the areas least likely to be adequately communicated to patients.

Sex Disparities After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and Hospital Quality.

Importance: Concern has been raised about persistent sex disparities after coronary artery bypass grafting, with female patients having higher mortality. However, whether these disparities persist across hospitals of different qualities is unknown. Objective: To evaluate sex disparities in 30-day mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting across high- and low-quality hospitals. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional, retrospective cohort study evaluated Medicare beneficiaries undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting between October 1, 2015, and March 31, 2020. Data analysis was performed from July 1, 2023, to December 1, 2023. Exposures: The primary exposures were hospital quality and sex. For hospital quality, hospitals were placed into rank order by their overall risk-adjusted mortality rate and divided into quintiles. Main Outcome and Measures: Risk-adjusted 30-day mortality using a logistic regression model accounting for patient factors, including sex, age, comorbidities, elective vs unplanned admission, number of bypass grafts, use of arterial graft, and year of surgery. Results: A total of 444 855 beneficiaries (mean [SD] age, 71.5 [7.5] years; 120 333 [27.1%] female and 324 522 [72.9%] male) were studied. Compared with male beneficiaries, female beneficiaries were more likely to have an unplanned admission (66 425 [55.2%] vs 157 895 [48.7%], P < .001) and receive care at low-quality (vs high-quality) hospitals (odds ratio, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.23-1.29; P < .001). Overall, risk-adjusted female mortality was 4.24% (95% CI, 4.20%-4.27%), and male mortality was 2.75% (95% CI, 2.75%-2.77%), with an absolute difference of 1.48 (95% CI, 1.45-1.51) percentage points (P < .001). At the highest-quality hospitals, male mortality was 1.57% (95% CI, 1.56%-1.59%), and female mortality was 2.58% (95% CI, 2.54%-2.62%), with an absolute difference of 1.01 (95% CI, 0.97-1.04) percentage points (P < .001). At the lowest-quality hospitals, male mortality was 4.94% (95% CI, 4.88%-5.01%), and female mortality was 7.02% (95% CI, 6.90%-7.13%), with an absolute difference of 2.07 (95% CI, 1.95-2.19) percentage points (P < .001). Female beneficiaries receiving care at low-quality hospitals had a higher mortality than male beneficiaries receiving care at the high-quality hospitals (7.02% vs 1.57%, P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, female beneficiaries were more likely to receive care at low-quality hospitals, where the sex disparity in mortality was double that of high-quality hospitals. Quality improvement targeting low-quality hospitals as well as equitable referral of female beneficiaries to higher-quality hospitals may narrow the sex disparity after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Making the cut? Reviewing the quality of surgical care in adults with Crohn's disease.

The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) reviewed the quality of care provided to adult patients undergoing surgery for Crohn's disease. The study reviewed elective, and emergency surgical pathways and the report highlighted clinical and organisational changes that should be made to improve patient care and outcomes.

Quality Coordinators' Perspectives on Quality Improvement in Primary Healthcare in Kosovo: A Qualitative Study.

AIMS: This qualitative descriptive study provides insights into the experiences of quality coordinators (QCs) in primary healthcare to inform policy and practice actions and empower QCs to enhance healthcare quality. METHODS: We conducted focus group discussions with purposefully selected QCs to understand their motivations, job experiences, factors influencing healthcare quality, and suggestions for quality improvement. Content analysis and deductive coding were used to scrutinize the responses and answer the research questions. RESULTS: The QCs thought highly about their job performance and were motivated by both extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Clinical audits, collegial reviews, and managerial support positively affected QCs' performance. In contrast, a lack of managerial support, limited working hours, and changes in organizing work caused the opposite. Empowerment and external support positively influenced healthcare quality, whereas lack of resources, managerial support, or training had a negative influence. Suggestions to improve quality include the role of QCs, external supervision, and centralization of the QCs' network. CONCLUSION: Appointing QCs alone does not guarantee quality improvement. It is essential to ensure that QCs have the appropriate skills, tools, management support, and open communication channels. Further research is required to evaluate the effects of sex and age on QCs' performance.

Quality and Safety in Nursing: Recommendations From a Systematic Review.

ABSTRACT: As a consistent 24-hour presence in hospitals, nurses play a pivotal role in ensuring the quality and safety (Q&S) of patient care. However, a comprehensive review of evidence-based recommendations to guide nursing interventions that enhance the Q&S of patient care is lacking. Therefore, the purpose of our systematic review was to create evidence-based recommendations for the Q&S component of a nursing professional practice model for military hospitals. To accomplish this, a triservice military nursing team used Covidence software to conduct a systematic review of the literature across five databases. Two hundred forty-nine articles met inclusion criteria. From these articles, we created 94 recommendations for practice and identified eight focus areas from the literature: (1) communication; (2) adverse events; (3) leadership; (4) patient experience; (5) quality improvement; (6) safety culture/committees; (7) staffing/workload/work environment; and (8) technology/electronic health record. These findings provide suggestions for implementing Q&S practices that could be adapted to many healthcare delivery systems.

International Variations in Surgical Quality of Care in Men With Prostate Cancer: Results From the TrueNTH Global Registry.

PURPOSE: Functional problems such as incontinence and sexual dysfunction after radical prostatectomy (RP) are important outcomes to evaluate surgical quality in prostate cancer (PC) care. Differences in survival after RP between countries are known, but differences in functional outcomes after RP between providers from different countries are not well described. METHODS: Data from a multinational database of patients with PC (nonmetastatic, treated by RP) who answered the EPIC-26 questionnaire at baseline (before RP, T0) and 1 year after RP (T1) were used, linking survey data to clinical information. Casemix-adjusted incontinence and sexual function scores (T1) were calculated for each country and provider on the basis of regression models and then compared using minimally important differences (MIDs). RESULTS: A total of 21,922 patients treated by 151 providers from 10 countries were included. For the EPIC-26 incontinence domain, the median adjusted T1 score of countries was 76, with one country performing more than one MID (for incontinence: 6) worse than the median. Eighteen percent of the variance (R2) of incontinence scores was explained by the country of the providers. The median adjusted T1 score of sexual function was 33 with no country performing perceivably worse than the median (more than one MID worse), and 34% (R2) of the variance of the providers' scores could be explained by country. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first comparison of functional outcomes 1 year after surgical treatment of patients with PC between different countries. Country is a relevant predictor for providers' incontinence and sexual function scores. Although the results are limited because of small samples from some countries, they should be used to enhance cross-country initiatives on quality improvement in PC care.