Flemish Institute for Quality of Care (VIKZ)

Measuring and sharing quality is the basis for any effective quality policy. Quality management in general hospitals is laid down in the decree of 17 October 2003 on the quality of health and healthcare services. General hospitals can choose which indicators to measure. The results will appear on the VIKZ website: zorgkwaliteit.be.

AZ Jan Portaels participates in the VIKZ project for the following domains:

  • Oncology
    • Rectal cancer
    • Breast Cancer
  • Patient Experience
    • Flemish Patient Survey (regular admissions, day hospital, paediatrics for parents)
  • Website screening
  • Patient Safety
    • Medication Safety
    • Hand Hygiene
    • Patient Identification
    • Safe Surgery Checklist
    • Decubitus Care
    • Unplanned readmissions
    • Bloodstream Infections
    • Clinical pharmacy
  • Stroke Care

Are you curious about the results? Discover them here.

Quality indicators - quality boards

AZ Jan Portaels monitors a number of indicators itself. They can be consulted on the quality boards posted in the hallways in most departments.

The following measurements are shown: decubitus, pain scores, patient satisfaction, patient identification, incident reports, etc

This set of indicators is regularly updated. For the most recent version, we invite you to take a look at a quality board in any department.

These boards also display the quality initiatives or improvement actions displayed using a quality cross. Every month, certain improvement actions are defined, selected and followed up by our departmental staff. Examples include patient identification, haemovigilance, falls prevention, pressure ulcers, etc. The departments decide which improvement actions they will follow up and record in the coming month. Progress is indicated on the quality cross.

Continuous quality improvements

AZ Jan Portaels is constantly working on quality improvement by carrying out a number of checks itself in order to optimise the care provided. Some examples of these checks are:

  • Performing internal quality audits

A new team of quality auditors was assembled in early 2021. Every month, they go out to collect systematic and impartial data on the quality of the processes applied and rules in place within a department, service or division. Based on the audit, the department, service, or division will improve its care. The following internal quality audits were conducted in 2021, among others: mental health, medication management, infection control, leadership, etc.

An annual schedule is prepared to audit the most critical processes within the hospital.

  • Performing checks for compliance with basic hand hygiene requirements

Our hands are the main transmission route of micro-organisms. Consequently, hand hygiene is considered the most effective of the general precautions for infection prevention in healthcare. The hospital performs regular hand hygiene compliance checks on its employees and physicians. Improvement actions are implemented based on this measurement.

  • Conducting safety rounds at healthcare units

Monthly rounds occur where safety and quality of care are checked. Based on this measurement, improvement actions are implemented and quality is increased. The results are displayed on the quality boards.

The following safety rounds will be held: patient identification, completeness of the patient record, discharge and consultation letters, completeness of resuscitation kit, narcotics policy, etc.

Improvement actions are formulated from each safety round. Examples include: drafting a standardized letter for certain tabs in the patient record, checklist on outside of resuscitation case, etc.

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