Patient surveys 'not good enough'

District health boards are not adequately monitoring what patients think of their hospital experience, new research shows.

Research by the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, conducted over 2004 and 2005, showed survey methods which checked satisfaction of hospital in-patients could be improved.

Health researcher Kaye Gilhooley loked at compulsory monthly surveys of randomly selected inpatients across DHBs.

As part of the study, a number of health experts were questioned about what information they wanted to get from patients through the survey forms and whether those needs were being met, she said.

The design of the inpatient survey put emphasis on "satisfaction ratings" rather than "experience reports" which were now internationally accepted as being more useful, she said.

"Experience reports ask the patient to explain specific details of their inpatient experience, such as whether a nurse called them by their preferred name," Ms Gilhooley said.

"On the other hand satisfaction reports often result in generalised answers which are not helpful enough in improving quality of care in hospitals."

The surveys now used in hospitals failed to meet a number of criteria. The boards still used surveys with "forced choice" questions, which gave patients few options. They also lacked space for longer responses.

Also, the research found inconsistent administration by DHBs and unsatisfactory analysis of results by the Ministry of Health.

- NZPA