Learning about the patient experience

16 August 2007

Members of the community who recently received a NSW Health Patient Survey in the mail are being asked to help the health service gain a complete picture of the patient and carer experience by completing and returning the survey.

More than 200,000 surveys were randomly mailed to patients who had received care from a range of public health services provided across the state – with 25,000 mailed to patients in the Hunter New England Health region.

Hunter New England Health Director Clinical Governance Dr Kim Hill said the NSW Health Patient Survey would enable the health service to gain information from patients and carers about their experience when receiving health care.

“The survey is unique because for the first time we are trying to obtain a measure of first-hand patient and carer experiences across all patient care services,” she said.

“We’re requesting that everyone who has received a survey in the mail to fill it out and return it to assist us to identify where we’re performing well and also areas for improvement,” Dr Hill said.

Hunter New England Health is administering the three-year NSW Health Patient Survey Project on behalf of NSW Health.

“This is one of several strategies being used by NSW Health to gain a complete picture of patient and carer experiences within the health service,” Dr Hill said.

“The survey questions are based on the eight dimensions of patient centred care that research has shown patients and carers feel is important to them when interacting with health services.

These include:
· Access to care
· Patient’s preferences
· Co-ordination of care
· Information and education
· Continuity and transition
· Physical comfort
· Emotional support; and
· Family and friends.

“Information will be collated and reported back at three levels – State, Area Health Service and individual health facility – with the data and feedback used to inform health care and systems improvement initiatives at all levels,” Dr Hill said.

Contact: Shannon Ramadge

Phone: 4939 2216