4.2.04 "Customer" surveys

The complete solution for your surveys

Purpose and goal

Description of a conventional, paper-based patient survey.

Area of application

We differentiate between customer surveys and surveys of the patient's perspective (see 5.1.12): the customer survey is about previously insufficiently understood or unknown requirements or preferences of our patients. The investigation of the patient's perspective is about the perception of hospital treatment ("through the eyes of the patient"). The methods overlap, but have very different questionnaires.

Description

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Concept phase

• Discussion of the subject of the survey and the framework conditions for the patient survey at management level. Assignment of the QMK to conduct a survey with the defined objectives.
• Develop documents and coordinate with management
• Select contractor for evaluation
• Cover letter (cover sheet): Details of the stations involved, signatures and details of the QMB
• Questionnaire: department-specific questions ® Coordination with QMK of the hospital, so that uniform formulation of the questions is ensured.
• Questionnaire (last page): Return regulations ® Where will the reply collection box / letterbox be placed? Questionnaire in envelope: yes/no
• Clarification of whether to participate in benchmarking
• Clarify whether patients should be given a small gift for completing the questionnaire, e.g. a pen with the hospital logo.
• Submission of department-specific questions to the Staff Council (see also 1.3.20 Employee representation)
• Presentation of the completed questionnaire and the procedure at management level, including ward managers
• The ward managers or delegates appointed by them
• are responsible for conducting the survey.
• inform the employees who distribute the questionnaires.
• Informing the functional areas (e.g. ECG) that a patient survey is taking place (see letter with reference to questionnaire on the website)

Preparation phase

• How many questionnaires should be issued? Ask for the number of treatment cases per month. Each patient should receive one sheet. Surcharge of at least 10 % for losses.
• Response rate perhaps 40 - 60 %. Possibly set an upper limit such as "at least 50 sheets". Then you have to calculate back accordingly and issue a corresponding number of sheets and extend the period.
• Have the calculated number of questionnaires printed by the in-house print shop, contact person:
• If envelopes (recommended A4) are required, order a sufficient number in good time.
• If a "small gift" such as a ballpoint pen with a hospital logo is required to motivate patients, order in good time.
• Provide printed questionnaires (and, if necessary, envelopes with the small gift) to the ward managers or their designated delegates.
• Regulation of the response rate (collection of questionnaires):
• Enable delivery to the nursing staff.
• In addition: Create the option of submitting questionnaires anonymously. Not necessary if envelopes are issued.
• Install and label reply box / letterbox on ward.

Survey phase

• Determine the time period for the survey - Employees of the nursing service or the medical service distribute the questionnaires at least one day before the planned discharge or transfer from the specialist department.
• If patients are transferred to another ward within the department, the questionnaire is handed out on the ward where the patient is discharged.
• Patients should be informed that the questions after admission refer to the ward where they were first admitted! All further questions should refer to the ward where the patient will be discharged.
• If the patient is transferred outside the patient's own specialist area, an interview should be conducted as described in the previous point.
• If the patient is transferred from another specialist area, no questioning takes place.
• On the cover letter of the questionnaire (page 1), the admitting and discharging ward must be noted

Evaluation phase

• QMK gives the remaining questionnaires to the office for evaluation.
• Reading in the questionnaires. An electronic solution should be found with the contractor for the evaluation!
• Determination of the response rate in the individual stations (define minimum number for station, without which an evaluation is not meaningful enough).

Feedback phase

• Presentation of the results
• ÄD, PDL, administrative officer or in management/steering committees
• Ward managers and in the medical service
• At the individual stations
• Identify and discuss potential for improvement
• Define quality objectives and initiate improvement projects to implement them. Write project plans, determine who is responsible and start implementation.
• Note: according to "1.3.20 Staff representation", the staff council must be involved here.
• Clarify whether the survey should be repeated 1 year later with the same questionnaire.
• Results related to issuing unit (ward), compact output for management level (Attention: Ensure anonymization!)
• Creating the presentation documents for the results

Documentation

• Project plan
• Questionnaires
• Report
• Archiving the questionnaires for 3 years (?)

Resources

Material

Printed patient questionnaires in appropriate number per ward If necessary, envelopes in appropriate number per ward If necessary, small gifts in appropriate number per ward Collection boxes on the wards Printing costs Questionnaires Postage Postage, envelopes and small gifts Letterbox (one-off) if none already exists. Scanning of the completed questionnaires or working time of the person entering the data

Time required

Design phase: at least 1 month Preparation phase: 1 month, note procurement times! Survey phase: depending on scope Evaluation phase: depending on scope

Responsibilities

QMK: Project management ward managers: Issue of questionnaires Contractor for reading the questionnaires and evaluation.

Person	Task / Responsibility	Time required
ÄD / PDL	Order Information Department-specific questions Feedback
QMK	Information Department-specific questions Organization Preparing the evaluation Feedback
Sation management	Implementation
Nursing service employees	Distributing the questionnaires

The technical procedures must be discussed with the contractor for the evaluation. Electronic procedures (e.g. EvaSys from Electric Paper) should be used!

Applicable documents

Literature, regulations