Why is it important to get critical feedback from your patients?
A 60-year-old female patient, Mrs Teuila Afualo, presents at the day surgery unit (DSU) for an open repair of an umbilical hernia at 8 am. She is of Islander background and has brought several of her family members with her. On admission, you calculate her body mass index (BMI) to be 38, note that her respirations are shallow and rapid, and that she appears to be extremely anxious.
Her medical history highlights that she has type 2 diabetes, which is managed with metformin, although she tells you that she has not been diligent about taking or recording her blood glucose level (BGL) regularly. She also informs you that a ‘couple of months ago' her GP prescribed tablets to treat her cholesterol and her blood pressure but she can't remember the names of them, and her son doesn't know them either. She has not taken any of these medications prior to her admission, her reason being that she was fasting. Her BP is 160/90 mmHg and her fasting BGL is found to be 12 mmol/L.
You also identify that Mrs Afualo did not attend the preadmission clinic. She explains that she could not attend because her son was not available to drive her. Consequently, she has not had a preoperative chest X-ray (CXR) or any blood tests as per her surgeon's protocols. A check of Mrs Afualo's consent form in the presence of her son reveals it has not been signed and that she is somewhat confused about her intended surgery.
What will be an ideal response?
Answer:
It is an important aspect of ongoing patient care in the DSU setting and provides patients with an opportunity to discuss any concerns about treatment and care while in your hospital, as well as their surgical outcomes in the immediate postoperative period.
The need to improve patient quality of care and safety is paramount and patients are the ones best placed to provide information on these topics.
Patient feedback provides insight into the strengths and weaknesses of a hospital's DSU and by reviewing its systems and services regularly a hospital is in a position to improve them.
The National Standards indicate that this activity is essential when defining appropriate care and hospital length of stay.
The process of the postoperative phone call is considered to be an evidentiary quality activity for accreditation purposes.
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