Development of a structural capacity index for oncological surgery in acute hospitals

Abstract Introduction The study of the impact of structure on outcomes has mainly been focused on the number procedures. The aim of our study was to develop a structure capacity index for hospitals for oncological surgery. Methods Cross-sectional study by means of a questionnaire related to the structural characteristics of hospitals that had performed gastrointestinal oncological surgery in Catalonia during 2004. Variables were considered for the index according to their measurement and conceptual properties. Results A response was obtained from 37 out of 48 hospitals. Variables with good conceptual and measurement properties (Cronbach alpha 0.92 and Item-Total correlation > 0.7) were included in the index. These variables were related to teaching, management and technology. Conclusions The index has acceptable levels of reliability and validity, and can be a useful tool to classify hospitals according to their technological characteristics and management strategies.