Patient-centred care is: ‘an approach to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of health care that is grounded in mutually beneifcial partnerships among healthcare provider, patients and families.”   The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care released a discussion paper on Patient-centered care. It lists a number of key recommendations to foster patient-centred care which are supported by Queensland Health.

Patient-centered care is a key dimension of high quality healthcare.  Research has shown that it improves the patient experience and the patient’s healthcare outcomes.  An integral part of improving patient-centered care is measuring the patient’s experience.

Health Consumers Queensland supports consumer, communities and patients involvement in all aspects and stages of their individual and collective healthcare journey.

Health Consumers Queensland have developed a brochure and toolkit Getting the Healthcare you need. The toolkit is deigned to support health consumers receive the best health outcomes possible.  The toolkit has information, ideas and tips for making informed decisions in order to take charge of their own healthcare or to advocate on someone else’s behalf.  The toolkit may also be useful for community organisations, health professional bodies and other agencies to assist them in their work.

The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights was developed after national consultation by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and specifies the key rights of patients and consumers when seeking or receiving healthcare services.

The Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights applies to the whole healthcare system and allows patients, consumers, families, carers and services providers to have a common understanding of the rights of people receiving healthcare. It is applicable to all health settings anywhere in Australia, including public hospitals, private hospitals, general practice and other ambulatory care environments.

Patients, consumers, staff and health service organisations all have a role in contributing to a safe and high quality healthcare system and achieving the best possible outcomes from the system. Patients, consumers and staff can all contribute by cooperating fully with others involved in the healthcare system and providing feedback on their experiences so that the system can be improved.

Supporting publications for the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights including, brochures and posters can be downloaded from the Queensland Health website.  Queensland Health Service facilities and divisions can also order these publications in bulk directly from the Queensland Government Sales Distribution Service (SDS) phone: 1800 801 123. 

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care provide an extensive range of publications including information for healthcare professionals and multilingual publications.  You can download these for free from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care website.

The Healthcare Experience Measurement Team’s (HEMT’s) primary task is to gather data representing the patient’s perspective at all levels of their journey through the healthcare system – from initial presentation, during ongoing care until discharge from Queensland Health services.

HEMT’s expert support incorporates national and international perspectives, applying these to assist local service teams to measure the patient experience for the purpose of improving patient centeredness.   HEMT’s knowledge of survey design, data collection, collation and analysis is valuable in assisting facilities to improve their patient outcomes.  This approach serves both the goal of achieving state-wide benchmarking and achieving local service improvements, through the provision of information and data analysis.

Currently the Healthcare Experience Measurement Team provides support to Queensland Health facilities to measure the healthcare experience of their patients via three methods: Patient Experience Surveys, The Patient Experience Tracker and Patient Stories.

Knowing what our patients experienced through their hospital visit is a key component in ensuring the delivery of high quality health care.  Patient surveys are a commonly used approach in collecting this information, providing a statewide and hospital specific snapshot of patient experience.  In finding out what patients experienced and if they are satisfied with the care provided, Hospitals can identify areas for improvement and prioritise service improvement initiatives.  Please click on the links below to view information regarding recent Patient Experience Surveys: 

• 2013 Statewide Emergency Department Patient Experience Survey
• 2011 Emergency Department Patient Experience Survey
• 2008/09 Surgical Patient Satisfaction Survey

The Patient Experience Tracker (PET) is an electronic data capture and reporting system that measures patient feedback at the point of delivery. It is a portable keypad which can be placed in wards and departments, which allows patient’s the opportunity to provide push-button responses about their hospital experience.  It can also be used to capture feedback from staff on the front line. It is fast, interactive, and easy to use.

PETs are currently being trialed to measure the impact of the solutions implemented as a result of Clinical Service Redesign Projects in selected Queensland Health facilities. As solutions are implemented, PETs are utilised to collect data from patients and staff.  The data is collated into reports and provided weekly to hospital staff clearly presenting changes in patient or staff feedback results. PETs have been shown to retain the focus on the solution and measure the sustainability of the changes.

The collection of patient stories in which participants share their experiences, perspectives and insights on a one-time basis, provides a broader understanding of the quantitative data collected at a hosptial. By collecting patient stories we are offered the opportunity to see beyond the statistics to the individuals underneath.  Stories can help build a picture of what it is like as a service-user and guide us to improve the service we deliver.  Put simply, stories are a way of viewing health care through the eyes of the patient.