Patient safety climate and the intervention of the quality control circles: An empirical study at a general hospital in Taiwan

Shao-Jen Weng — 2025-10-31

Quality Control Circles (QCCs) were instituted. Through the use of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ), we aimed to demonstrate a correlation between QCCs and improvements in units’ Patient Safety Culture (PSC). This study utilized data collected by SAQs at Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TCVGH) in Taiwan. We investigated the relationships among the levels of units’ QCC participation and the dimensions of SAQs through methods such as latent class analysis (LCA) and generalized estimating equations (GEE). Approximately 30 QCC teams from 78 units (wards or divisions) participate annually. The participation of teams in QCCs is classified into “low,” “medium,” and “high” levels by LCA. Results indicate that higher QCC participation correlates with a greater reduction in performance on the dimension of “Job Satisfaction”; specifically, the performance scores for medium and high participation are 2.34 points and 2.83 points lower than those for low participation. Despite the reduction in “Job Satisfaction,” members in the high participation group continue to prioritize patient safety and demonstrate stronger stress resistance. Regarding quality improvement promoted through QCCs, units with higher participation should emphasize patient safety more. However, authorities need to pay increased attention to opinion acceptance and adoption, as well as employee well-being during the operation process.

Development of financial innovation and economic growth: An approach using the autoregressive method with staged lags

Ngo Yonga Debora Blanche — 2025-12-31

The objective of this article is to evaluate the effect of the development of financial innovation on economic growth in the CEMAC sub-region during the period 2000-2020. To achieve this objective, the study employed the autoregressive method with staggered lags in a dynamic panel, which is robust to autocorrelation, heteroskedasticity, and potential endogeneity issues. The estimation results revealed that financial innovation has a positive and significant effect on economic growth in the CEMAC zone. Moreover, the analysis of the nonlinear relationship indicates that there is a threshold of 43.15%, beyond which further expansion of financial innovation has a negative and significant impact on economic growth. This suggests a relationship resembling an inverted U-shaped curve between financial innovation and economic growth. Consequently, public authorities within the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) should increase investments in financial infrastructure, such as expanding the number of banking agencies in countries like Gabon and Cameroon, to enhance proximity between ATM services and the population. They should also facilitate access to credit from financial institutions to encourage economic operators to invest in remote areas, thereby increasing access to financial services for impoverished populations. Finally, CEMAC leaders should consider policies that promote the use of mobile money for fund transfers and the expansion of ATM services across member countries, fostering greater financial inclusion and economic development.

Asian Journal of Empirical Research

Patient safety climate and the intervention of the quality control circles: An empirical study at a general hospital in Taiwan

Development of financial innovation and economic growth: An approach using the autoregressive method with staged lags