Better Care, Better Outcomes
Consumer Experiences of Person-centred Care in NSW Hospitals
The project: In August 2021, Health Consumers NSW (HCNSW) and the Physical Disability Council of NSW (PDCN) ran a joint, one-month online consumer survey to try to understand peoples’ experience of communication difficulties in NSW hospitals.
We asked if patients felt that there were appropriate levels of communication between patients and health care staff, what consumers thought the barriers were to good communication, and what was needed to improve communication.
We received 182 survey responses from a diverse cohort of individuals including people with physical disability, people living with chronic disease, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, carers, and older persons.
The results were concerning.
Project outcomes: In October 2022, we released a joint report Better Care, Better Outcomes: Consumer Experiences of Person-centred Care in NSW Hospitals.
Download the report:
- single page download (better for printing)
- double-spread download (better for on-screen reading)
The report provides a snapshot of what, we believe, is a much larger issue in realising best practice, person-centred care in hospitals. It indicates that more can be done to realise person-centred care, especially for patients with complex healthcare needs. It also confirms anecdotal reports about care that both PDCN and HCNSW have heard from our members.
What next?
PDCN and HCNSW welcome the opportunity to work with hospitals, Local Health Districts and the NSW Ministry of Health to both continue research across this important area, and to assist in co-designing solutions.
