Measuring Hospital Performance Using the EGIPSS Model: Lessons Learned from Ten Hospitals in the Kadutu Health Zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo

This study analyzes the comparative performance of ten hospitals in the Kadutu Health Zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo, using the EGIPSS model. The study was carried out in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in August and September 2021, in a changing global context where health systems are called upon to improve their resilience capacity while remaining high-performing. The study was descriptive and observational, using documentary review, interviews with 85 key informants and participatory observation of the ten hospitals selected on the basis of several criteria including the organization of a complete complementary package of activities assigned to a hospital in the DR Congo. It mainly reveals three facts, namely: (i) university hospitals show the best performance, (ii) adaptive capacity considerably influences the other dimensions of the EGIPSS model and along the way the overall performance of the hospital and (iii) to adapt, hospitals need resources and good management and governance. Adapting hospitals in the Kadutu Health Zone to the changing context requires a holistic approach that combines clinical work with research, investments in infrastructure (often dilapidated and not modern), training, technology and governance. It also involves learning from practices implemented in more efficient hospitals.