Horizon Health to survey hospital patients twice a year

The Horizon Health Network will begin routinely surveying hospital patients twice a year about their experiences and making the results public, officials say.

Prior to 2014, patients were surveyed only once every three years by the New Brunswick Health Council.

​"We needed to receive more timely feedback than, of course, we would receive in just once every three years," said Margaret Melanson, Horizon's vice-president of patient care.

This month, medical, surgical and obstetrics patients aged 18 and over, who spent at least one night in hospital, will be asked to fill out a confidential questionnaire covering a range of issues — from cleanliness, to staff professionalism, to food quality.

“We want to know how our patients are being treated,” John McGarry, the health authority president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

"We consider this integral to our patient-focus philosophy, where we commit to work with patients, not simply for patients," he said.

McGarry said in his statement that the surveys will result "in a better health-care system," by ensuring the needs, desires, beliefs and cultural sensitivities held by patients and their families are met.

Completed surveys must be returned by Dec. 12. The results will be posted on Horizon's website.

Last week, Horizon announced its three largest hospitals all failed cleanliness audits conducted in October by a team of Ontario-based experts.

The regional health authority requested Niagara Health Services to do a cleanliness audit after receiving several complaints.

A survey of patients in May found 40 per cent were not satisfied with the condition of their rooms.

Transparency lauded

​Leslee Thompson, president and chief executive officer of Kingston General Hospital in Ontario, commends Horizon "for being transparent in their process of change."

That kind of openness is key, said Thompson.

When Kingston General officials discovered four years ago that just 33 per cent of its staff were washing their hands before seeing patients, they took several steps, including putting up posters at the entrance to every nursing unit showing the statistics.

"That makes it really clear and really simple for every staff, every patient, every family member walking onto that unit," said Thompson.

Kingston General's hand hygiene compliance is now in the 90 per cent-range, she said.

Horizon's handwashing compliance rate currently stands at about 70 per cent, said Melanson.

The regional health authority is also working on that issue and will be making those results public as well, she said.

The current patient survey is the second one conducted this year.

In May, more than 2,200 surveys were handed out to Horizon patients released from care. Of those, 1,195 patients responded.