Patient experience is among the 12 key attributes of high-performing health systems, defined as “the sum of all interactions, shaped by an organization's culture, that influence patient perceptions across the continuum of care" (The Beryl Institute). Essentially, patient experience encompasses the numerous touchpoints between patients and hospitals – not just their experience in receiving direct care. Capturing and understanding the care experiences of patients and their families/caregivers remains a crucial priority for Ontario hospitals. It is fundamental to advancing both patient experience and quality of care by remaining accountable to patients.
To commemorate this year's Patient Experience Week, taking place from April 28 to May 2, this issue of Health System News highlights the innovative ways hospitals are partnering with patients and their families to improve care quality and enhance the overall patient experience.
Ontario's hospitals have been pioneers in actively listening to and engaging with patients and families to understand and improve care. For over two decades, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) and its members have worked together to inform and drive quality improvement through standardized patient survey instruments. In recent years, the OHA has championed the modernization of patient experience measurement efforts by leveraging digital tools to enable equitable, accessible, and inclusive patient experience surveying and access to real-time data. Through digital outreach (e.g., email, SMS/text, QR code), hospitals participating in the OHA-led program can cast a wider net and hear from a broader range of patients. This modern approach allows hospitals to receive higher volumes of patient feedback more quickly to readily inform quality improvement.
Read about how Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) has taken the lead in capturing and reporting patient experience data following the selection of a new vendor for patient experience measurement in 2023. By November 2023, the hospital ventured into uncharted territory — SMS-based survey distribution. By analyzing thousands of patient feedback surveys, Lakeridge Health identified a key theme: patient frustration over unclear discharge instructions and uncertainty about follow-up care. In response, the hospital launched a strategic initiative to improve how patients receive and understand post-hospital care instructions.
Measuring patient experience is a pivotal form of patient engagement—it provides a critical lens into patients' needs and preferences, helping to ensure that care remains truly patient-centred.
These experience surveys are complemented by other strategies to gather this important feedback. Hospitals collaborate with patients and families to inform decision-making in service planning and delivery and in co-designing care improvements. For example, Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital has implemented several innovative programs and policies to enhance patient care and experience. Since the early 2000s, hospitals have implemented formal structures, such as Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs), to engage patients and families in advisory capacities. Many hospitals host focused PFACs on unique clinical areas, and feedback plays a vital role in shaping their annual Quality Improvement Plans. Learn about how CHEO's Outpatient Complex Care program involves families in informing care practices through its Complex Care Family Advisory Council.
Since the pandemic, some hospitals also reaffirmed their commitment to patient experience with the proliferation of family presence policies and Essential Care Partner (ECP) programs. These policies and programs recognize patients and their families as integrated units. Evidence has shown that involving and supporting caregivers as part of the care team leads to better health outcomes, enhanced care experiences, and reduced strain on the health system. An exemplary initiative is Sinai Health's Family Presence Policy (FPP), implemented alongside a Caregiver ID program during the pandemic to provide 24/7 access for caregivers. This program has since evolved into the Ontario Caregiver Organization's Essential Care Partner Program, now an initiative scaled across hospitals in the province.
As Ontario's health care system grapples with rising demand for care and mounting pressures, hospitals remain committed to gathering insights from patients, families, and caregivers to better understand the impact on those they serve. These efforts to prioritize patient experience help hospitals better uphold and preserve empathy, dignity, and positive experiences during times of vulnerability. Cultivating a culture that embraces patients as active partners in designing and delivering care strengthens the system's ability to address the province's future needs while fostering better health outcomes.