Our health care system can learn a lot from patients. One way to find out what’s working well and where we can do better is to simply ask them.
Since 2007, the Health Quality Council (HQC) has been supporting our system partners in surveying patients about their health care experiences. We continue to work with the health system to encourage patient surveying in multiple care settings.
In 2016, health regions assumed local ownership of the survey process, which has provided them with more timely access to information from surveying and increased their measurement capability. As part of our role in building capacity to understand patient experience through measurement, we are also expanding and diversifying the way we hear the patient voice -- to move beyond surveying to experienced-based design.
As well, a Care Experience Measurement Working Group has been formed within the Patient- and Family-Centred Care (PFCC) Guiding Coalition, to support continued application of patient surveying in Saskatchewan. This group brings together measurement experts, clinical leaders, and patient advisors to build the tools and processes to capture the patient perspective.
HQC plays a lead role with this group in developing patient surveys that meet health system needs. Since creating, in collaboration with our partners, the acute care survey in 2011, we subsequently developed surveys for primary care, and long-term care.