Over 80 per cent of respondents satisfied with public inpatient services
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The Hospital Authority (HA) Board today (September 22) discussed and endorsed the Report of the 2015 Patient Experience and Satisfaction Survey on Inpatient Service. The Survey found that 86 per cent of respondents gave a positive rating for their overall inpatient experience. With the results of the Survey, the service quality of public hospitals will be further enhanced as the HA can better understand the needs of patients.
Commissioned by the HA, the Survey was conducted by the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care of the Faculty of Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong from July to November 2015. Around 9,300 randomly selected patients discharged from 25 public hospitals were interviewed by phone. The Survey examined core dimensions of patient care, covering the patient journey from admission to discharge.
Associate Professor of the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care of the Faculty of Medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Professor Eliza Wong, who was responsible for the Survey, said that the overall response rate of the Survey was 83 per cent. The findings revealed an overall positive experience in inpatient service. The mean score of the overall experience of the 25 public hospitals was 7.8 (on a scoring scale of zero to 10), ranging from 7.5 to 8.2. The overall experience was rated 7 or above by 86 per cent of respondents.
The majority of respondents gave high ratings for care aspects including "provision of clear and understandable answers to important questions", "confidence and trust in healthcare professionals", "pain control", "provision of clear and understandable explanation on how to take medication" and "respect and dignity to patients".
"Areas with relatively lower scores were about communication issues and provision of information upon discharge, such as 'information on medication side effects' and 'information needed for patient care and recovery'," Professor Wong added.
The HA Director (Quality and Safety), Dr Derrick Au, said, "The HA is deeply thankful to patients for their support of this survey and giving positive ratings to its inpatient service. The public hospitals are providing about 90 per cent of inpatient care in Hong Kong. The Survey not only served as a platform for patient engagement in the care process, as its findings can also help the HA better understand patients' feelings and expectations of inpatient service in public hospitals and identify priority areas for enhancement in our ongoing quest for continuous service improvement."
The HA launched its first patient experience and satisfaction survey on inpatient service in 2010 with about 5,000 patients in seven hospital clusters. The HA will continue to carry out surveys on specific areas or themes to monitor service quality in order to shape its service direction and implement improvement measures.
The general public is welcome to browse the full Report of the Patient Experience and Satisfaction Survey on Inpatient Service, which can be accessed online under "Special Reports" in the "Corporate News" section of the HA website (www.ha.org.hk).
Ends/Thursday, September 22, 2016
Issued at HKT 18:40
Issued at HKT 18:40
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