Performance of quality improvement teams and associated factors in selected regional referral hospitals in Tanzania: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: quality improvement teams facilitate improvement in the performance of the health facilities and simultaneously improving the quality of health services. There is scanty information on the factors associated with performance of quality improvement teams. This study aimed to assess the perceptions of members of the quality improvement teams on the factors influencing the performance of quality improvement teams in regional referral hospitals in Tanzania. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted in four regional referral hospitals in Tanzania. We used self-administered questionnaires to collect data from 61 members of quality improvement teams. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the perceived factors influencing team performance. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to test the association between perceptions of the team members and factors associated with team performance. Results: the overall mean perception score on team performance was high at 27.51 +/- 4.62. Five factors namely: training (83.6%); communication (75.1%); team cohesiveness (71.5%); clarity of roles and responsibility (70.2%); team size and composition (65.5%); and self-assessment and learning (56.2%) were considered as the main drivers of team performance. Inadequate management support obtained the lowest score (36.1%). Multivariable regression analysis established a significant association between training, communication, clarity of roles and responsibilities, team size and composition, self-assessment and learning, management support and team performance. Conclusion: inadequate management support to the team was found to be a barrier to team performance. Managerial interventions should focus on provision of coaching and mentoring to the team while addressing resource challenges affecting the team performance.