Performance assessment of a short-term medical mission (STMM): A multinational assessment across Ecuador, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.

BACKGROUND

STMMs increasingly provide care in low- and middle-income countries, but evaluations often rely on non-standardized, single-country metrics. This study applied the Health Impact Assessment Tool (HIAT) across missions conducted in Ecuador, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study surveyed patients, personnel, host-providers, and leadership across three STMMs (July 2023-August 2024) using standardized HIAT domains: cost, efficiency, impact, preparedness, education, and sustainability, each captured through the stakeholder survey(s) specified in the original HIAT design rather than assessed identically by every respondent group. Data were analyzed descriptively; inferential testing was not performed given mission heterogeneity.

RESULTS

A total of 2896 patient surveys and 215 staff/leadership surveys were completed. Honduras had the highest patient- and personnel-reported scores overall; the Dominican Republic had the highest host-provider ratings despite lower volume; and Ecuador, despite the highest patient volume, had the lowest patient-reported preparedness score (70.17%); the lowest score overall was the Dominican Republic personnel-reported Cost score (48.89%).

CONCLUSIONS

STMMs showed favorable patient-reported outcomes overall, with higher preparedness and sustainability at the site with permanent local infrastructure. Standardized tools such as HIAT may improve accountability and quality in global health outreach.