Moncton (NBHC) – The New Brunswick Health Council (NBHC) is publishing the results of its second acute care survey in New Brunswick. The survey targeted patients who were discharged from one of New Brunswick’s 20 acute care hospitals between the months of March to May 2013. Over 10,000 questionnaires were mailed out with a response rate of 45.5%.
This is NBHC’s first repeat survey cycle aimed at evaluating progress areas in hospital care experiences. Three out of four patients responded by giving the province’s facilities a thumbs-up in terms of overall hospital rating, a result similar to that of 2010.
The survey highlighted a number of improvements for both of New Brunswick’s Regional Health Authorities. Hospitals under the Vitalité Health Network showed improvements overall for:
communication with nurses (74.6% in 2013, 70.5% in 2010),
quick response of staff to patient needs (66.1% in 2013, 62.3% in 2010), and;
communication about medicines (56.0% in 2013, 51.2% in 2010).
Hospitals under the Horizon Health Network showed improvements overall in:
asking patients if they had received key information before leaving the hospital (66.4% in 2013, 63.4% in 2010),
preparing patients for a successful transition from hospital to home (36.2% in 2013, 33.0% in 2010), and;
doctors communicating with patients (79.8% in 2013, 77.6% in 2010).
In the meantime, the survey also highlighted some opportunities for improvement, the main one regarding cleanliness. In 2013, only 53.2% of patients across the province reported that their room and bathroom were always kept clean, which is significantly lower than what patients reported in 2010 (59.6%). The cleanliness of any hospital environment is important for infection control and patient safety, and patients often equate this with the quality of the hospital.
“In 2013, results show that we don’t communicate to patients as much as we should about medicines, we don’t respond quickly enough to patients needs, we don’t prepare the patient for a successful transition from hospital to home, and cleanliness is still an area where many hospitals have work to do.” said Stéphane Robichaud, CEO of The New Brunswick Health Council. “In 2010, survey results showed that there were areas of concern with quality and patient-centred care. These results help understand what is needed to have more patient-centered care.” says Stéphane Robichaud.
To see the complete results, the NBHC encourages New Brunswickers to visit the NBHC website. An interactive map will help citizens locate the results at the provincial level, by regional health authority, and by hospital. The map can be located at nbhc.ca. The NBHC has been established as an independent and objective organization that measures, monitors and evaluates New Brunswick’s health system performance through a citizen-centered dual mandate of performance measurement and citizen engagement.
MEDIA CONTACT: New Brunswick Health Council: Manon Arsenault, (506) 863-7263, manon.arsenault@nbhc.ca