- What is the New Brunswick Health Council Hospital Acute Care Survey?
- What is the purpose of this survey?
- How are hospital services delivered in New Brunswick?
- Who is conducting the Hospital Acute Care Survey?
- Who can take part in this survey?
- How do citizens know if they have been selected to participate in the survey?
- What kind of questions does the survey ask?
- Why is it important for citizens to respond to this survey?
- How are the survey answers used?
- How does the NBHC protect personal information?
- What if a citizen does not want to participate?
- What if a citizen is unable to complete the survey due to health reasons or prefers to have a friend or family member respond on their behalf?
- Who do I call if I have any questions or concerns?
1. What is the New Brunswick Health Council Hospital Acute Care Survey?
The Hospital Acute Care Survey evaluates the quality of hospital care provided to patients in New Brunswick. It is a survey received by mail or completed online and is conducted by the New Brunswick Heath Council (NBHC).
2. What is the purpose of this survey?
New Brunswickers should be given the opportunity to express their opinion about the hospital care services they receive in New Brunswick
This survey aims to inform citizens about the quality of hospital care in New Brunswick. It can also be used to help decision-makers and planners improve how they manage hospital services by providing them with the information they need to flag gaps and highlight accomplishments.
3. How are hospital services delivered in New Brunswick?
Hospitals in New Brunswick are grouped under two Regional Health Authorities: Horizon Health Network and Vitalité Health Network.
The Horizon Health Network manages and delivers hospital services in 12 acute care facilities across the following healthzones:
➥ Miramichi Area
➥ Moncton and South-East Area
➥ Fundy Shore and Saint John Area
➥ Fredericton and River Valley Area
The Vitalité Health Network manages and delivers hospital services in 9 acute care facilities across these health zones:
➥ Madawaska and North-West Area
➥ Restigouche Area
➥ Bathurst and Acadian Peninsula
➥ Moncton and South-East Area
4. Who is conducting the Hospital Acute Care Survey?
The 2026 Hospital Acute Care Survey is being conducted by PRA Inc., an independent research company, on behalf of the New Brunswick Health Council and the Regional Health Authorities in New Brunswick.
The New Brunswick Health Council (NBHC) is an impartial organization that measures, monitors, and evaluates New Brunswick’s health care system performance and population health, and engages citizens in the improvement of health service quality.
5. Who can take part in this survey?
The survey will be mailed to citizens who are 18 years of age or older and who received medical, surgical, or maternity care during an overnight stay at a New Brunswick hospital between April 2026 and July 2026.
6. How do citizens know if they have been selected to participate in the survey?
Citizens who are eligible to participate in the survey will receive a personalized letter and a bilingual questionnaire from the New Brunswick Health Council (NBHC) in the mail at their home.
The survey can be completed on paper at home or online. If completed on the paper questionnaire, it can be returned using the postage-paid return envelope provided. Participation in the survey is voluntary.
7. What kind of questions does the survey ask?
In this survey, New Brunswickers will be asked about their experiences with several key dimensions of quality hospital care. The Survey asks questions about:
- Overall satisfaction
- Patient safety
- Communication with nurses and doctors
- Pain control
- Cleanliness of hospital facilities
- Transition from hospital to home
- Access to services in the official language of choice
8. Why is it important for citizens to respond to this survey?
Acute care services affect the lives of all New Brunswick citizens in many ways. This survey is an opportunity for citizens to share their experiences with hospital care in order to inform future quality improvement initiatives.
The results from this survey will provide hospitals, the Regional Health Authorities, and the Department of Health with valuable information toward improving the health system for all New Brunswickers.
9. How are the survey answers used?
Answers to this survey help us understand what is being done well and what areas need improvement as it relates to citizens’ experiences with hospital acute care in New Brunswick.
The NBHC uses the results from the Hospital Acute Care Survey to provide New Brunswick citizens and decision-makers with information about hospital quality care and to monitor improvements over time. De-identified survey results will be made publicly available on the NBHC website across various geographic level (province, zones, hospitals) and across demographic groups.
10. How does the NBHC protect personal information?
Answers to this survey are kept strictly confidential and combined with other answers for public reporting. All the necessary steps are taken to ensure that the information collected from this survey is protected and secure.
The survey adheres to the privacy laws of New Brunswick under the Personal Health Information Privacy and Access Act (PHIPAA - Personal Health Information Privacy and Access Act (gnb.ca) and the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RTIPPA - Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (gnb.ca). Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals will not know how individual participants responded. Respondents have the option to skip any question on the survey if they are not comfortable answering it.
11. What if a patient does not want to participate?
Participation in this survey is completely voluntary.
If citizens want to remove their name from the survey list, they are encouraged to call the New Brunswick Health Council toll-free number: 1-877-225-2521. They will be asked to provide their full name, address, and telephone number. This information is required in case there is more than one person with the same name on the survey list.
12. What if a citizen is unable to complete the survey due to health reasons or prefers to have a friend or family member respond on their behalf?
The patient can ask someone close to him to fill out the questionnaire.
13. Who do I call if I have any questions or concerns?
If you have any questions or would like to have more information about this survey or its results, please call the toll-free number: 1-877-225-2521.