Ms Deborah Angel1
1Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne , Australia
Biography:
Deborah Angel has worked in Nephrology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, intermittently since 1985. She has worked primarily in satellite haemodialysis and has a passion for patient advocacy and education, with Degrees in Science, Nursing and Law.
Abstract:
Background
Continuous quality improvement is an essential aspect of patient care. Focussing on person-centred care, our service sought a validated survey for patients receiving satellite haemodialysis. Consultation with other services found no dialysis specific patient experience questions in use, however the Victorian Healthcare Experience Survey (VHES) has a bank of validated questions, used in a variety of healthcare settings, that could be adapted for the dialysis setting.
Aim
To develop and conduct a validated satellite haemodialysis patient experience survey to incorporate patients views and wishes into processes and patient care.
Method
Nine questions (seven closed and two open) from the VHES were chosen for our survey. The survey was housed in REDCAP accessible access via a QR code, or a paper-based form, anonymously placed in a drop box. We conducted the survey of our three dialysis satellites, over a 4-week period.
Results
Our response rate was 58%. 100% of patients rated their care either good or very good. Whilst some slight variation between units, overall 89% of patients reported being involved in care decision making, and 96% had confidence and trust in staff. Open-ended questions yielded minimal areas for improvement.
Conclusion
Use of these validated survey questions provided a mechanism to hear our patient’s perspective on care they received, and enabled our service delivery to be more patient centred. Whilst staff may have perceived service gaps, this was not identified in the responses. Other areas of our service are adopting this approach for future surveys.