Perceptions on the influence of cost issues on quality improvement initiatives: a survey of Saudi health care managers.

OBJECTIVE: To determine (i) the cost issues which Saudi health care managers perceive to influence overall quality improvement initiatives, and (ii) the relationship between health care managers' satisfaction with such initiatives and their perceptions regarding the influence of different cost issues on the overall quality improvement initiatives. DESIGN: Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire in August and September 1996 in the Western Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The participants were 236 health care managers of private hospitals. Data was analysed using the chi2 test. RESULTS: Less than one-half of the health care managers surveyed were satisfied with their hospitals' overall quality improvement initiatives. The issue that was rated to have the most influence on such initiatives was the 'cost of malpractice lawsuits' followed by the budget for the quality assurance programme'. The issue that was perceived to have the least influence on overall quality improvement initiatives was 'data on cost allocation'. Of the 17 cost issues included in the study, eight had statistically significant influence on the health care managers' satisfaction with their hospitals' overall quality improvement initiatives. The most statistically significant was the 'measurement of the costs of quality-related actions'.