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. 2023 Feb;80(1):43-52.
doi: 10.1177/10775587221118157. Epub 2022 Aug 24.

Employee Engagement in Quality Improvement and Patient Sociodemographic Characteristics in Federally Qualified Health Centers

Olivia S Jung  1   2   3 , Janet R Cummings  1
Affiliations

Employee Engagement in Quality Improvement and Patient Sociodemographic Characteristics in Federally Qualified Health Centers

Olivia S Jung et al. Med Care Res Rev. 2023 Feb.

Abstract

Quality improvement (QI) work is critical, particularly in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) that treat underserved populations. In a national sample of 45 FQHCs, we examined how patients' sociodemographic characteristics were associated with employee engagement in QI, via innovation contests that solicited ideas for improving care and offered opportunities to vote on ideas. We posited that patients' sociodemographic characteristics influence the complexity and intensity of clinical work and thus employees' capacity to engage in QI. Regression results indicated that the percentage of patients living in poverty was negatively associated with employee participation in idea submission and voting. Moreover, the percentage of Hispanic patients was negatively associated with participation in voting. The percentage of Black patients, however, was not associated with either outcome. FQHCs that serve a higher share of low income and/or Hispanic patients may face resource and personnel constraints that reduce employees' capacity to contribute to QI efforts.

Keywords: community health centers; federally qualified health centers; innovation contests; quality improvement; underserved populations.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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