Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for the Sociology of Health and Medicine Institute for Sociology, HUSO, University of Vienna Ludwig Boltzmann Society Do patient surveys contribute to the empowerment of patients? The Austrian experience: no, they don’t – but they could „Empowering for health – practicing the principles“ 13th International Conference on HPH May 19, 2005, Dublin Ursula Karl-Trummer, Sonja Novak-Zezula, Peter Nowak, Hermann Schmied

2 Empowerment of patients as a core principle of HP Ottawa Charter 1986: „enabling people“ Health Promotion Glossary 1998: „people gain greater control over decisions and actions affecting their health“ Vienna Recommendations 1997: „contribute to the empowerment of patients [...] encouraging an active and participatory role for patients according to their specific health potential“

3 Patient surveys as potential contribution to patient empowerment raise awareness of the importance of patients views both for patients and providers provide a basis for patient centred quality development of services enable patients to make information-based choices concerning the use of services

4 Requirements to utilize potential quality assured patient surveys validated indicators providing useful information for patients, staff and management systematically integrated into quality management comparable between hospitals and hospital units - benchmarking Information available for (future) patients instruments health/social sciences health care system public health, hospital trusts organisational development hospital

5 The Austrian situation - A feasibility study Study financed by the Austrian Ministry for Health, conducted 2004 Aim: formulate recommendations for a design of a nationwide standardised quality assessment of patient-orientation in hospitals Content  compilation and analysis of existing Austrian patient- questionnaires used for comparison between hospitals  compilation and analysis of international models for benchmarking patient-orientation between hospitals

6 Results – how far are requirements met? Routine 7 (public hospital trusts make regular patient surveys 1 questionnaire meets scientific quality standards use of data and integration into quality development is often unclear Comparison between hospitals on national level is practically impossible Only little information is given to patients, mainly for marketing reasons

7 Results – how far are requirements met? Projects: „patient orientation in Austrian hospitals“ Development of a validated patient questionnaire – PAO 58 Data used for quality management decisions Benchmarking of 21 hospitals on national level project Only little information given to patients

8 Results: International Examples of hospital benchmarking information available for patients Australia : Victorian Patient Satisfaction Monitor (VPSM) Denmark: National Danish Survey of Patient Experiences California: Patients´ Evaluation of Performance in California (PEP-C) Canada: Hospital Reports England: NHS Patient Survey Programme / Inpatient Survey

9 Conclusions and open questions Validated patient questionnaires are available Models for how to make results available for patients are in place Can patients use the information offered ? How much and what kind of support is needed ?  for individual patients and  for patient participation in system development