Patients Happy with Southern DHB Experience

Patients Happy with Southern DHB Experience

Results released today reveal that patients are happy with their experience of Southern DHB hospital services.

The national survey was developed by the Health Quality and Safety Commission and Ministry of Health as a way of measuring the patient experience of care within public hospitals. 400 patients in each DHB were asked a wide range of questions on the following categories: communication, partnership, co-ordination, physical and emotional needs. Questions included “whether or not patients were involved in decisions about their care and treatment”; “whether they were treated with respect and dignity”; “whether their care was coordinated and whether they understood the information given to them”. The survey scored each DHB with a mark out of 10 for each category, from 0 (poor) to 10 (excellent). For the August/September 2014 quarter Southern DHB hospitals scored an overall mark of 8.2. to 8.4. in every category, classifying the patient experience as “good” or “very good”.

The survey is mandatory for DHBs to participate in and will be continued to be sent to patients either electronically via cell phone, email or by post. Results are then published quarterly.

Staff at Southern DHB will be using the survey results to inform and build on the many initiatives currently underway across the hospital sites, designed to deliver improved quality of care. For example current investment by the DHB in new systems such as the risk management system (RL6) promising to increase our ability to report feedback and events that we can learn from to improve patient safety and experience of care.

The results also provide a positive reflection to the DHB, of its continued focus on placing patients at the centre of everything it does. Also through its membership of the South Island Alliance, Southern DHB is continuing to work alongside other South Island DHBs to deliver better health outcomes for the people of the South Island.

“Southern DHB is delighted with the results which give a good balanced view of the feedback which will be used to build on and improve our patient experience. Our drive to improve the quality of care encompasses a range of feedback from the patient experience and this survey result is very encouraging,” said Southern DHB Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Leanne Samuel.

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