Use Patient Experience to Improve Cancer Services

MEDIA RELEASE

Cancer Control New Zealand
Tuesday 28 September 2010

Health Professionals Must Use Patient Experience to Improve Cancer Services

District Health Boards and health professionals are being advised to use the final results and recommendations of the first ever national survey of cancer patient experience to improve cancer services.

The final results of the Cancer Control New Zealand 2009 Cancer Care Survey show overall satisfaction with publicly funded outpatient cancer care to be very high, with a 97% positive rating.

“The Voice of Experience Part 2 report shows relationships with health professionals and the adequacy of information, facilities and amenities have a huge impact on the patient experience,” says Associate Professor Chris Atkinson, Chair of Cancer Control New Zealand.

“This final analysis of the national cancer care survey provides clinicians and managers with clear information about what to focus on to improve the quality of cancer care even further.”

The Voice of Experience Part 2 report confirms earlier draft results that current strengths in cancer care provided include specialist care co-ordination, the level of privacy and dignity and respect provided by health care professionals. Areas for improvement include provision of emotional support and information, and consideration of the patient’s individual circumstances in planning treatment.

The report recommends that:
Service providers build patient trust by ensuring consumers know they are being listened to, and that they play a key role in improving the quality of services.
Standardised patient-reported outcomes be used to assess the impact of quality improvement efforts on the patient experience of care.
Regional networks and treatment services, in collaboration with Cancer Control New Zealand and the Ministry of Health, should consider developing actionable patient-reported outcomes that drive quality improvement and a more responsive health system.
Patient-focused change be actively led by clinical and non-clinical leaders and that this change balances technical aspects such as systems and processes with service aspects to holistically meet the needs of patients and address their expectations to achieve improved patient care.
• Improvements be made in the provision of supportive care to enable issues, such as referrals for emotional support and the provision of information on aspects of day-to-day living, to be addressed and allow for improvements to the cancer patient experience.
• The survey results be used and debated by the profession.
Information about national, regional and service-level patient experiences be linked as part of the examination of the diagnosis and treatment pathway.
National patient experience surveys be repeated every three to five years.

Cancer Control New Zealand will be promoting the Voice of Experience Part 2 report to health professionals and managers over the coming months.

2,221 people responded to the cancer care survey. Those surveyed had completed a phase of outpatient cancer treatment in the previous 12 months and sought treatment at one of eight designated cancer treatment facilities.

The Voice of Experience Part 2 report is available from www.cancercontrolnz.govt.nz.
It follows the release of the Part 1 and companion reports earlier this year.

The Cancer Control Council is a Ministerial Advisory Committee providing an independent and sustainable focus on cancer control through strategic advice to the Minister of Health.

ENDS

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