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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pediatr.
Sec. General Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency Care
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1589092
Evaluation of the Quality of Care in Pediatric Hospitals in the Gaza Strip Using the WHO Integrated Tool: The Healthcare Providers' Perspective
Provisionally accepted- 1Department of Pediatric Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Albutana, the Republic of the Sudan, Khartoom, Sudan
- 2University of Palestine, Al-Zahra, Palestine
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Background: This study aimed to assess the quality of pediatric care in Gaza Strip hospitals using the World Health Organization (WHO) integrated tool.Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 before Gaza war, with a census sample of healthcare providers at three major governmental pediatric hospitals: Al-Nasr, Al-Durra, and Al-Rantisi. Data were collected through an interview-based questionnaire, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.Results: A total of 336 participants were included (59.5% male, 40.5% female). Of these, 13% were pediatricians, 16% general doctors, 1% pediatric nurses, and 70% were general nurses. The overall total scores for healthcare providers' responses to the eight WHO quality standards was 29.5%; in addition, it was varied across hospitals: Al-Nasr (29.1%), EL-Rantisi (31.9%), and Al-Durra (28.4%). The lowest score was for Standard VIII (8.3%), related to the physical environment, while the highest score was for Standard V (70.9%) related to rights of children. Statistically significant differences were found for standards I, II, IV, VII, and VIII between the hospitals (P-values < 0.05 for all). Additionally, the health care providers aged 31–35 years were three times more likely to have better overall total scores compared to other age groups (Adjusted Odds Ratio = 3.014, 95% Confidence Interval = [1.255–7.241], P value = 0.014).Conclusion: The study revealed suboptimal pediatric care quality in Gaza Strip hospitals. The lowest scores for the healthcare providers, was 8.3% for standard (VIII), which pertains to the physical environment, emphasizing the need for infrastructural improvements, while the highest scores 70.9% was for standard (V) shows the providers respectful view and acts for children rights without discrimination. There is a need to prioritize upgrading the physical environment and ensuring the availability of essential resources, such as water, sanitation, and medical supplies, to enhance the overall quality of care for children in these hospitals. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers and healthcare professionals working to improve pediatric care in Gaza.
Keywords: assessment, Children, Gaza Strip, Pediatric Hospitals, quality of care, WHO
Received: 06 Mar 2025; Accepted: 22 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Eleyyan, ELssyed Etewa, Al’Haj Ahmad and El Bilbeisi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Abdel Hamid El Bilbeisi, University of Palestine, Al-Zahra, Palestine
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