Interdisciplinary patient satisfaction
Future developments
Over the medium term, ANQ intends to replace the short questionnaire currently used to measure satisfaction. To create the basis for future improvements, ANQ commissioned ESOPE at unisanté to undertake literature research. The national and international trends with regard to the reviewing of patient satisfaction in the different healthcare institutions are of particular interest. In addition, an appraisal was carried out in the area of acute care, rehabilitation and psychiatry in Swiss hospitals and clinics. This gave a good overview of the survey instruments used in addition to the ANQ short questionnaire.
Interdisciplinary Quality Committee (QC)
The QC met twice in the year under review. As well as approving the 2019 National Comparison Reports for the departments, the QC also focused on implementing the patient survey in child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP) at a national level. The key aspects were developed together with representatives of the Swiss Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (SGKJPP) and the work group that created and validated the CAP questionnaire. In May, the ANQ Board approved the QC’s application to implement a national patient satisfaction review in CAP from 2021 onwards.
Julia Pappacena of Rheinfelden rehabilitation clinic joined the QC as a newly elected member in 2020.
Acute care
Patient satisfaction among adults and parents
The results of the 2019 survey were published back in early July. The survey showed that patients themselves and parents of children and adolescents are very satisfied with the quality of treatment provided in Swiss hospitals. Adults rated positively the information given on use of medication and the opportunity to ask questions. The highest rating by parents was given to the question concerning the respectful attitude of personnel.
Link to press release
The transition to conducting the survey every two years was made in 2020. For this reason, there was no review of patient satisfaction in the area of acute care in the year under review.
Psychiatry
Patient satisfaction – adults
At the end of April, ANQ published the satisfaction ratings from the 2019 patient survey. Swiss psychiatry clinics again received very good reviews. The satisfaction rating scores for five of the six assessment areas were better than 4 (of a maximum of 5). The aspects “opportunity to ask questions” and the “clarity of the responses given” were awarded the highest scores.
Link to press release
The COVID-19 pandemic also impacted on psychiatry clinics. In early March, the extent to which they would have to prepare for subsidiary somatic care tasks was not foreseeable. To ease the burden on the psychiatry clinics, the ANQ Board decided to postpone the patient satisfaction reviews in adult psychiatry to 2021.
Patient satisfaction – child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP)
In May, the Board approved the application from the department-wide QC to collect information on patient satisfaction in CAP at a national level from 2021. The review will be an all-year round survey that will be undertaken every two years and employ a questionnaire specifically developed for children and adolescents older than 11 years and their parents. Appointed as the review logistics centre is w hoch 2 while ESOPE has assumed responsibility for the national evaluation and reporting. When planning the operational implementation, ANQ worked closely together with w hoch 2 and the representatives from the child and adolescent psychiatry sector who are part of the newly formed expert group. Two information events for the clinics took place in October. The survey started as planned on 1 January 2021.
Rehabilitation
Patient satisfaction
At the end of February, ANQ published the satisfaction ratings from the 2019 survey. The patients’ evaluations were very positive and the satisfaction scores in five out of six areas were greater than 4 (of a maximum of 5). Particularly good scores were awarded to the fact that information was provided by site personnel in understandable form.
Link to press release
The COVID-19 pandemic also had an impact on the rehabilitation clinics. The extent to which they would need to take on additional tasks with regard to somatic care during the pandemic was not clear at the start of March. The ANQ Board therefore decided to ease the potential burden on the clinics and postponed the patient satisfaction review until 2021.