What is the New Brunswick Health Council Hospital Acute Care Survey?
The Hospital Acute Care Survey is a mail-in or online survey run by the New Brunswick Heath Council. This survey evaluates the quality of hospital care provided to New Brunswick citizens.
What is the purpose of this survey?
Citizens should be given the opportunity to express their opinions about the health care 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.
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 health zones :
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 the following health zones:
Madawaska and North-West Area
Restigouche Area
Bathurst and Acadian Peninsula
Moncton and South-East Area
Who is conducting the Hospital Survey-Acute Care?
The 2023 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 independent 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.
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 2023 and July 2023.
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.
The survey is to be completed at home or online and returned using the postage-paid return envelope provided. Participation in the survey is voluntary.
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
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.
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 Survey – Acute Care 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 for each hospital in the province.
The NBHC also shares the results from this survey with the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), according to the data requirements outlined on the CIHI data dictionary at https://www.cihi.ca/en/health-system-performance/quality-of-care-and-outcomes/patient-experience.
Why does the NBHC share its survey data with the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)?
CIHI is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides essential information on Canada’s health system and the health of Canadians. Since 1994, CIHI has worked with a broad range of stakeholders to create and maintain health databases and measurements and standards to produce evidence-based reports about Canadian health system performance.
New Brunswick is one of several provinces that shares data with CIHI. CIHI uses the information we share with them to inform service providers, hospital decision-makers and funders about patient-centered care and patient outcomes across Canada. The information is published by province and by hospital, which allows participating hospitals to gain valuable knowledge about their own care processes and to see how their hospital compares to other hospitals in New Brunswick and across the country.
You can read more about CIHI’s work here: https://www.cihi.ca/en/health-system-performance/quality-of-care-and-outcomes/patient-experience.
How does the NBHC protect personal information?
Answers to this survey are kept strictly confidential and combined with others 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 providers 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.
How does CIHI protect personal information?
Survey information supplied to CIHI will only be used in compliance with CIHI’s Privacy Policy on the Collection, Use, Disclosure and Retention of Personal Health Information and De-Identified Data, 2010 — Updated November 2022 (cihi.ca), which governs how personal health information is treated at CIHI. CIHI has a comprehensive privacy and security program that complies with the highest standards for safeguarding the confidentiality of health information.
What if a citizen does not want to participate?
Participation in this survey is completely voluntary.
If a citizen wants 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 citizen with the same name on the survey list.
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?
Citizens who receive the survey can ask a caregiver, friend, or family member to help them complete it.
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.