Identifying and Determining Effective Key Performance Indicators in the Development of Maternity Dashboard

Abstract

Background: The well-being of both the mother and her baby can be influenced by the quality of the care they receive during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. It’s crucial to ascertain the quality of the healthcare provided in order to improve it. Therefore, utilizing a maternity dashboard is vital to measure key performance indicators (KPIs), improve the quality of care, and ensure high-quality care. Objectives: To identify and determine effective KPIs for developing a maternity dashboard. Methods: This qualitative applied research was conducted in two stages to identify and determine KPIs for developing a maternity dashboard in Iran. In the first stage, a literature review was performed, followed by a qualitative comparative analysis of maternity dashboards in various countries to extract KPIs. In the second stage, 48 KPIs were identified and validated by a panel of experts using the Delphi technique. These KPIs were classified into 6 categories and finalized by the expert panel. Data analysis was conducted using content analysis and descriptive statistics. Results: In the initial phase of the Delphi technique, all experts confirmed three main categories of KPIs required for developing the maternity dashboard: (1) clinical activity, (2) fetal and neonatal complications, and (3) postnatal. In the second stage, an expert panel reviewed the indicators, leading to the identification of six groups of essential KPIs, including clinical activity, antenatal care, childbirth, maternal complications, fetal and neonatal complications, and postnatal care, upon which 100% consensus was reached by experts. Conclusions: Maternity dashboards are vital instruments for delivering effective maternity care. These dashboards can provide valuable and practical information through KPIs, which serve as criteria for evaluating performance.