Authors (including presenting author) :
Wong ELY, Cheung AWL, Lau JCH, Yeoh EK
Affiliation :
Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research, The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Introduction :
Use of patient experience survey to promote patient-centred care is becoming valued in healthcare delivery worldwide.
Objectives :
This study aimed to measure patient experience on inpatient service among 27 public hospitals and identify possible areas for improvement.
Methodology :
A cross-sectional telephone survey using a validated questionnaire was conducted between October 2019 and April 2020. The questionnaire consisted of 39 evaluative survey items under six care aspects along the patient journey. Responses to all evaluative items, including an overarching question for overall patient experience, were converted to scores in a scale of 0 (the worst experience) to 10 (the best experience).
Result & Outcome :
The survey was successfully conducted in 9,800 patients with a response rate of 40%. The average score of the overall experience for all hospitals was 8.2 out of 10, which was a statistically significant increase from 8.1 of 2017. The individual hospital scores ranged from 7.9 – 8.5. The experience of the admission to hospital was good. For the Hospital Environment & Facilities, respondents had positive feedback on the cleanliness in wards and washrooms, and the supply of hand-wash gels/liquid. Yet, there was comparatively negative experience about the noise at night. For the Hospital Staffs, there was positive experience in all areas with high confidence and trust to healthcare professionals. For Patient Care and Treatment, there was positive experience about providing clear and understandable answers, and treated with respect and dignity. However, patients reported that hospital staffs seldom introduced themselves, and had engagement for treatment. For Information on Leaving Hospital, there was positive experience in discharge procedure and support; however, a few areas included “engagement for discharge”, “information about medication”, and “provision of contact information for patients with worries about condition and treatment after discharge” are still room for improvement.
The result of evaluating inpatient experience was encouraging. Patients had treated with dignity and privacy, and high confidence and trust with healthcare professionals. They were most satisfied with the patient care and information explained for medical condition and treatment. Areas for further investigation and improvement included discharge information about medication side effect and danger signal, information for family / caregiver after discharge and engagement with patients/family for care.
