Hospital rating system a “gigantic leap forward”

Hospital rating system a “gigantic leap forward” in client care, says Social Service Outcome Researcher.

“The decision by Health Minister Tony Ryall to introduce a patient rating system of our public hospitals is a gigantic leap forward in client care, and should be extended to ranking individual service providers as quickly as possible, says Steve Taylor, a Social Services Outcomes Researcher.

“Service Outcome research garnered over the last 70 years consistently shows that privileging the clients voice in service provision is the most effective and reliable method of assessing the true value of a service.

Such feedback, using valid, reliable, and feasible service outcome measurement tools, collects information that is very different from simply a satisfaction survey. A satisfaction survey most often only measures generic, non-specific client experiences within generic environments; a proper outcome measurement tool measures very specific experiences within a very specific context, with very specific people and specific environments.

Far from being a demotivating process, as claimed by Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Dr Ian Powell, client feedback on both macro-service and individual people are powerfully motivating for two reasons:

a/ If the individual is doing a good job, they get to hear about it, and performance and confidence is increased.

b/ If improvements need to be made, the individual is able to work towards refining their service provision, in line with the evidence of actual client outcome feedback, an outcome consistent with the research filed of “developed excellence”.

There should be no fear by the medical profession, both macro and individual, being measured by client outcome methodology – unless of course, the profession has something to hide” say Mr Taylor.

“The next logical step would be to extend such outcome measurement to all health, social service, and education providers in the public, NGO and private sector, including organisations such as Child Youth, and Family, Barnardos, Universities & Polytechnics, and the Family Court”.

ENDS

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