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Quality function deployment in a public plastic surgery service in Brazil

  • Original Paper
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Abstract

Background

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a method used to evaluate and plan the quality of products and services. It is based on the satisfaction of customers, translating their needs into measurable characteristics that meet their expectations. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of a public plastic surgery service using QFD.

Methods

Eighty-six patients undergoing reconstructive operations in the plastic surgery service of a university-affiliated public hospital in Brazil were enrolled. Quality issues required by patients (voice of customer) were correlated with service elements proposed by a multidisciplinary team (voice of organization).

Results

The requirements considered most important by patients (voice of customer) were “ease of hospital registration” followed by “nursing service.” The requirement considered least important by patients was “schedule for continuity.” The multidisciplinary team (voice of organization) considered “decreasing the number of complaints/month” the highest priority item of projected quality, followed by “increasing the number of satisfied patients.” “Number of patients referred” was considered the lowest priority item.

Conclusions

The QFD method was successfully applied to evaluate and set a projected quality plan for a public plastic surgery service in Brazil.

Level of Evidence: Level III, therapeutic study.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Guilherme Campos for his kind assistance with the graphic design.

Conflict of interest

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plastic Surgery Post-graduation Program, Universidade Federal de São Paulo—UNIFESP, Rua Napoleão de Barros, 715-4° andar, CEP 04024-002, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    José Lamartine Galvão Campos, Daniela Francescato Veiga, Luiz Roberto Martins Rocha, Joel Veiga-Filho & Lydia Masako Ferreira

  2. Plastic Surgery Division, Universidade do Vale do Sapucaí—UNIVÁS, Rua Comendador José Garcia, 777, CEP 37550-000, Pouso Alegre, MG, Brazil

    Daniela Francescato Veiga & Joel Veiga-Filho

  3. Bioestatistics Department, Universidade do Vale do Sapucaí—UNIVÁS, Rua Comendador José Garcia, 777, CEP 37550-000, Pouso Alegre, MG, Brazil

    Neil Ferreira Novo

Authors
  1. José Lamartine Galvão Campos
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  2. Daniela Francescato Veiga
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  3. Luiz Roberto Martins Rocha
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  4. Neil Ferreira Novo
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  6. Lydia Masako Ferreira
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Correspondence to Daniela Francescato Veiga.

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Campos, J.L.G., Veiga, D.F., Rocha, L.R.M. et al. Quality function deployment in a public plastic surgery service in Brazil. Eur J Plast Surg 36, 511–518 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-013-0839-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-013-0839-y

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