Patient Satisfaction
The Niagara Health System (NHS) is an active participant in the Ontario Hospital Report Card series, with a goal to evaluate hospital care and services and to report to the public how our health care system is functioning. Part of the Hospital Report Card includes NHS patient and visitor feedback.
Through patient satisfaction surveys, we receive information that helps us identify where we are doing well and highlights where there are opportunities to improve our care and services.
NRC Picker is the company hired by the province to co-ordinate the patient satisfaction survey process for all participating hospitals. The NHS provides a listing of patients discharged to NRC Picker, and they randomly select patients to receive the survey. The survey is mailed directly to patients by NRC Picker and completed surveys are returned by mail to NRC.
As well, our Complex Continuing Care patients are interviewed periodically with the patient’s permission. As part of this survey, a family member or frequent visitor is identified and a satisfaction survey is mailed to their home to get additional feedback.
Completion of the survey is voluntary and all responses are kept confidential. NRC Picker analyzes the results of the returned surveys on our behalf and provides us with reports, which we review to assist in identifying where we are doing well and to highlight where we may have opportunities to improve the care and services we provide.
We appreciate the feedback that is provided to us through this survey process. We encourage all patients and family members who are selected to complete the survey and to express your opinions, both positive and negative, in an open and frank manner.
Hospital Report: Key Patient Satisfaction Indicators April 2009
Acute Care
Overall Impressions
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Annual
Definitions:
Overall Impressions (Satisfaction Score out of 100) looks at how acute care patients view their total hospital experience, including the overall quality of care and services. A higher score means they trusted their health care team, and they were likely to recommend the hospital.
Comments:
Scores remained stable in 2006-07. Average annual score is below provincial average.
Communication
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Annual
Definitions:
Communication (Satisfaction Score out of 100) looks at whether acute care patients felt informed about their condition, how they were doing and how they would recover. A higher score means patients felt they understood what was happening to them and they knew how to care for themselves after leaving the hospital.
Comments:
Scores increased in 2006-07. Last two reporting periods are within the mean of the provincial average.
Responsiveness
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Annual
Definitions:
Responsiveness (Satisfaction Score out of 100) considers how acute care was delivered. A higher score means patients felt they could get help when they needed it and the different departments all had the correct information about their care.
Comments:
Scores decreased in 2006-07. The last two reporting periods are within the mean of the provincial average.
Emergency Care
Overall Impressions
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Annual
Definitions:
Overall Impressions (Satisfaction Score out of 100) looks at how patients view their emergency department experience, including the overall quality of care and services they received. A higher score means they trusted their doctors and nurses, and that they were likely to recommend this emergency department.
Comments:
Data was not available and reported for this quadrant in 2004/05.
Scores increased in 2006-07. The last two reporting periods are below the mean of the provincial average.
Communication
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Annual
Definitions:
Communication (Satisfaction Score out of 100) looks at whether patients felt informed about their stay in Emergency. A higher score means they were given answers they could understand, informed about delays and left understanding how to care for themselves and who to call with questions.
Comments:
Data was not available and reported for this quadrant in 2004/05.
Scores decreased in 2006-07. The last two reporting periods are within the mean of the provincial average.
Responsiveness
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Annual
Definitions:
Responsiveness (Satisfaction Score out of 100) considers whether patients felt they received the care they needed. A higher score means patients felt they did not have to wait long to see a doctor or get tests. It also means they felt staff helped control pain, and the nurses and doctors worked well together.
Comments:
Data was not available and reported for this quadrant in 2004/05.
Scores decreased in 2006-07. The last two reporting periods are lower than the provincial average.
Chronic & Complex Care
Family Perception of Overall Quality
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Every two years
Definitions:
Family Perception of Overall Quality (Satisfaction Score out of 100) looks at how the families of patients view the overall quality of care and services their family member received. A higher score means they felt the family member’s needs were met with dignity, staff provided tender and loving care, and family members were likely to recommend this hospital.
Comments:
Data was not available and reported for this quadrant in 2005/06.
Scores decreased in 2006-07. The last two reporting periods are within the mean of the provincial average.
Family Perception of Care and Services
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Every two years
Definitions:
Family Perception of Care and Services (Satisfaction Score out of 100) looks at how patients’ families see the care their family member received. A higher score shows they were very satisfied with the way staff addressed a patient’s specific needs and provided individualized care. A higher number also shows families are confident the patient was well taken care of when they are not present.
Comments:
Data is not available for 2005/06 as this quadrant was not reported in that year.
Scores decreased in 2006-07. The last two reporting periods are within the mean of the provincial average.
Family Perception of Communication
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Every two years
Definitions:
Family Perception of Communication (Satisfaction Score out of 100) looks at how patients’ families felt about their interactions with staff and whether they felt welcome on the unit. A higher number means they were kept informed about the patient and involved in planning for his/her care.
Comments:
Data is not available for 2005/06 as this quadrant was not reported in that year.
Scores decreased in 2006-07. The last two reporting periods are within the mean of the provincial average.
Overall Quality
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Every two years
Definitions:
Overall Quality (Satisfaction Score out of 100) examines how patients would rate the care they received overall on a scale from terrible to excellent. A higher number means that they were very satisfied and that they would be very likely to recommend the hospital.
Comments:
Data is not available for 2005/06 as this quadrant was not reported in that year.
Scores increased in 2006-07. The last reporting period was within the mean of the provincial average and the current reporting period is higher than the mean of the provincial average.
Food and Food Services
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Every two years
Definitions:
Food and Food Services (Satisfaction Score out of 100) looks at whether patients felt satisfied with the food selection and availability. A higher score means that they felt there was a variety of good food, that it was available when they were hungry, and that they received help eating if required.
Comments:
Data is not available for 2005/06 as this quadrant was not reported in that year.
Scores increased in 2006-07. The last two reporting periods are within the mean of the provincial average.
Living Environment
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Every two years
Definitions:
Living Environment (Satisfaction Score out of 100) looks at whether patients felt satisfied with the facility as a place to live. A higher score means that they found it comfortable, that it was clean and tidy, that they felt their belongings were safe and that it was generally well maintained. It also considers whether patients had any safety concerns over their rooms and whether they were bothered by noises or smells.
Comments:
Data is not available for 2005/06 as this quadrant was not reported in that year.
Scores decreased in 2006-07. The last two reporting periods are within the mean of the provincial average.
Leisure
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Every two years
Definitions:
Leisure (Satisfaction Score out of 100) looks at whether patients felt satisfied with the personal and communal activities available. A higher score means they knew about and participated in group activities, that they were satisfied with the entertainment and games available and that they received help participating if needed.
Comments:
Data is not available for 2005/06 as this quadrant was not reported in that year.
Scores increased in 2006-07. The last two reporting periods are within the mean of the provincial average.
Dignity
Source of Data:
Hospital Report
Reporting Cycle:
Every two years
Definitions:
Dignity (Satisfaction Score out of 100) examines how patients would rate the manner in which they were treated. A higher score means they felt their privacy was respected, they were not ignored or taken advantage of, and staff called them by name.
Comments:
Data is not available for 2005/06 as this quadrant was not reported in that year.
Scores increased in 2006-07. The last reporting period was within the mean of the provincial average and the current reporting period is higher than the mean of the provincial average.