PATIENT SATISFACTION STUDIES

Rationale for Measurement

The RCSI Hospital Group wishes to provide opportunities for patients and families to tell us about their experiences of care. This feedback can then be used to improve care for all patients. The Hospital Group uses various methods to capture the patient’s experience of our services. Participation in the yearly National in-Patient Experience Survey (NIES) is one of the methods used. The NIES Programme is a joint initiative by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health. A number of quality improvements have been developed as a result of analysing the feedback beneath and these are displayed on the RCSI HG website for maximal transparency.

Measurement Methodology and Data Sources

All adult patients, with a postal address in the Republic of Ireland, who spent 24 hours or more in one of the 40 participating hospitals and were discharged during May 2022 were asked to complete the NIES survey. In total, 4286 patients of the RCSI Hospital Group were invited to participate in the survey and 1642 completed responses have been returned. Ref: https://yourexperience.ie

The final datasets are listed below and have been broken into 5 themes:

1. Admissions
2. Care on the Ward
3. Examination, Diagnosis and Treatment
4. Discharge or Transfer
5. Overall experience

National Performance

RCSI Hospital Group

Introduction

The National Maternity Experience Survey (NMES) offers eligible new mothers the opportunity to share their experiences of all aspects of Ireland’s maternity services from antenatal through labour and birth to postnatal care. The first National Maternity Experience Survey took place in October and November 2019. The NMES Programme is a joint initiative by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health.

Rationale for Measurement

Feedback from the NMES will be used to improve the safety and quality of care provided to women and their babies in the RCSI HG.

Measurement Methodology and Data Sources

The NMES included 68 structured, tick-box questions and three open-ended (free-flow) questions. The survey covered the full pathway of maternity care — from antenatal care, through labour and birth, to postnatal care in the community. Women aged 16 or over who gave birth in October or November 2019 and had a postal address in the Republic of Ireland were invited to participate in the NMES.

The final datasets are listed below and have been broken into 7 themes:

1. Antenatal Care – Experiences of the type of maternity care offered and chosen, information provided and communication with healthcare professionals in the antenatal care period

2. Labour and Birth – Experiences of interactions with healthcare professionals, pain management and involvement in decisions during labour and when giving birth

3. Care after Birth – Experiences in hospital, such as the support and assistance provided by staff, and information provided on care and recovery

4. Specialised Care – Experiences of support in the neonatal unit and overall ratings of the care received by the baby while in the unit

5. Feeding – Experiences of receiving information and support from healthcare professionals on feeding the baby

6. Care at Home – Experiences of support and advice from GPs and public health nurses while at home after the birth

7. Overall Experience

Cavan General Hospital

• Cavan has demonstrated above national average standards in 6/6 themes

Drogheda Hospital

• Drogheda has demonstrated above national average standards in 5/6 themes

Rotunda Hospital

• Rotunda has demonstrated above national average standards in 5/6 themes

RCSI Hospital Group

• the patient feedback received for RCSI Hospital Group has demonstrated the highest level of patient satisfaction in the National Maternity Experience Survey 2020

MATERNITY BEREAVEMENT EXPERIENCE SURVEY (NMBES) 2022

Introduction

The National Maternity Bereavement Experience Survey (NMBES) offered women and their partners the opportunity to share their experiences of Ireland’s maternity bereavement care services. The survey is part of the National Care Experience Programme, which is a joint initiative by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health (DoH).

Rationale for Measurement

The willingness of participating parents to share their experiences of such a difficult and painful time helps identify areas where care can be improved, particularly in relation to information and support relating to grieving, physical recovery, and mental health after leaving hospital.

Measurement Methodology and Data Sources

Women and their partners who experienced a second trimester miscarriage, a stillbirth or the early neonatal death of a baby in one of Ireland’s 19 maternity units or hospitals between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2021 were invited to participate in the Survey. In total, 655 women and 232 partners or support persons participated in the NMBES questionnaire. The survey explored the pathway of maternity bereavement care from communication and information at the time of antenatal diagnosis, through to maternity hospital care, and follow-up care provided in the community after leaving hospital.

The datasets have been broken into 11 stages of care:

1. Communication and Information at the time of diagnosis – experiences of care, support, interactions and provision of information at the time of baby’s diagnosis
2. Admission care – experiences of care when admitted for induction of labour or delivery, focusing on admission planning and the hospital environment
3. Labour and Birth – experiences of interactions with healthcare professionals, pain management and involvement in decisions while in labour and giving birth
4. Care after birth and meeting the baby – experiences of meeting the baby, and the support and privacy provided
5. Neonatal Care – experiences of care in the neonatal unit, involving visiting, involvement in decisions and communication
6. Postnatal Care – experiences of hospital care after the birth, including physical and emotional support
7. Bereavement Care – experiences of support with practical and emotional aspects of dealing with the bereavement
8. Post-mortem Examination and Investigations – experiences of the post-mortem examination process, including timeframes and communication
9. Discharge – experiences of preparation for leaving the hospital and provision of information and support for returning home
10. Follow-up Care – experiences of care at home after the discharge, including care from a GP or Public Health Nurse
11. Partner or Support Person – experiences of a partner or support person, including involvement in decisions and provision of support

National Average

Cavan Hospital

• Cavan Hospital demonstrated above national average in 6 stages of care

Drogheda Hospital

• Drogheda Hospital demonstrated above or equalled national average in 4 stages of care

Rotunda Hospital

• Rotunda Hospital demonstrated above or equalled national average in 6 stages of care