The Participatory Approach: A Specific French Organizational Model at the Department Level to Serve the Quality of Work Life of Healthcare Providers and the Quality of Care in Pediatric Oncology

BACKGROUND: Care providers ‘psychological health at work is an important issue because it directly affects the quality of patient care. So far, few studies have studied the psychological health at work of care providers in paediatric oncology. The participatory approach (PA) is an innovative organizational model of department specific to France and previously associated with quality of work life (QWL) and job performance. The aim of the present study was to explore the relationships between the participatory approach, care providers’ QWL and quality of care of children in pediatric oncology departments in France. METHODS: A multicentre survey was carried out in pediatric cancer units in France. Care providers completed a questionnaire assessing PA, QWL, consequences of QWL, and their perception of quality of care. The children or their parents completed a questionnaire assessing their perception of quality of care. RESULTS: Five hundred and ten healthcare professionals working in French pediatric oncology centres (more than 40% of the healthcare staff in paediatric oncology in France), 142 children and 298 parents responded to the survey. PA was associated with the care providers’ QWL (β = 0.274; p <0.001), work engagement (β = 0.167; p<0.001), job satisfaction (β = 0.166; p<0.001) and perception of quality of care (β = 0.236; p<0.001). PA was also related to patients’ perception of quality of care notably regarding quality of communication (β = 0.161; p<0.001) and information (β = 0.226; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: PA is an innovative organizational model that appears to play a role in all aspects of healthcare providers’ QWL, and in the quality of care perceived by both care providers and patients.