Improving patient and staff outcomes using practice development

A survey on the perceptions of midwives, women, and support persons on the introduction of a support person information resource

INTRODUCTION

Midwives in an Australian birth unit undertook a project to develop a resource for women and their support person. The aim of this study was to explore how the women, support persons and midwives viewed the introduction of this resource designed to guide and support women in their choice of support person.

METHODS

A quantitative survey study was used to explore how three participant groups viewed the introduction of a support person information resource. A hospital designed survey was developed for women, support people and midwives. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 26 and Braun and Clarke's guide for thematic analysis.

RESULTS

More than half (55%) of the midwives believed that the information resource presented influenced women's choice of support people during labor. Almost three-quarters (72%) of the women did not change their choice of number of support people that they wanted during their labor. The majority (83%) of women would recommend the support person brochure to other women. The majority (83%) of support people stayed the entire duration of labor. Four themes were generated from open-ended questions: value of the information sheet, knowing how to be a support person, connecting midwives with being woman-centered, and choosing the support person.

CONCLUSIONS

The availability of an information resource was of benefit for women, support people and midwives, contributing to women feeling more informed in choosing their support person. Midwives felt they had evidence to support conversations with women, contributing to the feeling of being woman-centered. Support people had increased confidence.

Better together: a day hospital's move towards integrated care

Background/Aims

This article will present how an interdisciplinary team working within a day hospital in an acute NHS Foundation Trust embraced the opportunities of practice development to work ‘better together’ to meet the complex needs of individuals using the service.

Methods

By working closely with key stakeholders, the team developed an integrated service intersecting both primary and secondary care boundaries.

Results

The principles of practice development, including shared vision and focus, ensured changes made to the service were patient centred. These changes included a 360-degree assessment by professional staff with extended skills beyond their own professional role, and a virtual ward round, where individual patients are reviewed by an interdisciplinary team in the community with a focus on avoiding hospital admission, with quicker access to the day hospital. The team worked closely with their local university towards achieving practice development unit status, demonstrating a rigorous approach to the development of services provided by the day hospital.

Conclusions

The article highlights both the value of practice development and significantly the value of an interdisciplinary team working within a day hospital setting.

Patients' satisfaction as a dimension of quality: a survey on outpatients' care in Dubai

PURPOSE

The last few years have seen a stronger emphasis on patient-centred care within the international healthcare setting. Patient-centred care is clearly perceived to be important to optimise the satisfaction and well-being of patients. The purpose of this paper is to review current patient-centred practices for outpatients in both private clinics and public hospitals in Dubai. Such a comparison contributes to the identification of best management practices as a means of enhancing healthcare delivery.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

This study is based on an independent survey consisting of self-administered questionnaires, in which patients were asked to rate several aspects of private clinics or government hospitals in Dubai. The questionnaire used has been drawn from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Clinician and Group Survey, Version 3.0. Responses from 420 patients form a data set that is analysed quantitatively.

FINDINGS

In total, 420 respondents took part in this survey. The results of the survey show that there is a considerable difference between the expectation levels of patients from government hospitals and patients from private clinics. Patients from government hospitals consistently show that time is a critical aspect of the service received, with 68 per cent of the respondents reporting this issue. Additionally, poor customer care, as reported by 14 per cent of the respondents, is also a critical issue. Timely service and appointments are among the main factors that contribute to patient satisfaction. Patients in private clinics, instead, particularly value clear explanations from doctors and nurses - this is corroborated by the fact that 11 per cent of the respondents reported appreciation of this type of service.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

This paper draws attention to a patient-centric perspective of healthcare, and highlights the importance of educating patients through clear explanations.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

Little evidence exists on the standards of healthcare in Dubai. The authors explore this area and present direct evidence on quality standard implementation, identify implementation shortcomings and make recommendations for future research and practice.