Clinicians are increasingly able to use patient feedback to better understand patient needs and expectations. Patient-reported measures are captured in surveys that give patients the opportunity to provide direct, timely feedback about their health-related experiences and outcomes.
In February last year, the Patient Reported Measures Program launched the Health Outcomes and Patient Experience (HOPE) platform. HOPE provides a secure web-based platform for NSW Health to manage online patient-reported measures surveys and capture feedback provided by patients.
A year on, it is transforming the way health professionals collect and use patient feedback to help improve healthcare.
One patient who has benefitted is Sylvia Mann, who had a fall which fractured her ribs and affected her confidence. Before attending an appointment to prevent another fracture, Sylvia filled out a survey using HOPE. The survey provided Sylvia's clinician Aaron Hall, Osteoporosis Refracture Prevention Coordinator at Nepean Hospital, with information about her fall. It also assisted Aaron to be aware of Sylvia's current experiences with balance and quality of life.
“At the first appointment, it felt like Aaron already knew me thanks to the information I’d submitted,” recalls Sylvia. “The survey made me consider things I hadn’t before. I’d been counting the steps in our house, so I didn’t miss one and fall; and hesitating getting out of the shower.”
Patient-reported measures surveys (like the one Sylvia completed) are a key part of Aaron’s consultations. “The insights allow me to quickly build rapport with the patient; and identify what matters to them and what they want to get out of an appointment,” he says.
“I can also discuss the survey answers with the patient, if they’re comfortable. With Sylvia, we discussed her fear of falling and strategies to address it.”
Sylvia’s survey responses allowed us to address fear as part of her healthcare, potentially avoiding care complications or a refracture down the road.
Watch Sylvia and Aaron talk about their experiences with patient-reported measures and HOPE.
How data improves care
The Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) continues to work with eHealth NSW and other key stakeholders to implement patient-reported measures through the HOPE platform across the state.
HOPE is now live at 284 sites, is used by more than 200 health services across NSW and has surveys for 21 clinical programs available. More than 16,000 patient surveys have been completed in HOPE and 11,240 surveys from previous systems migrated to ensure that feedback is accessible.
“Clinicians are finding the HOPE platform makes it easy to access and interpret the surveys, giving them insights they’ve never had before,” says Mel Tinsley, the ACI’s Clinical Information and Decision Support Manager.
“Access to longitudinal data is particularly helpful. It gives clinicians a fuller picture of a person or condition over time and improves their ability to provide really person-centred care.
“We’ve enjoyed recognition as national and international leaders in the patient-reported measures space, but the best feedback is hearing how it gives clinicians better tools and data to enhance the care they deliver.”
What’s new on HOPE?
Throughout the build and rollout of HOPE, the team has listened to user feedback and continues to make improvements to the platform and provide support to clinicians and consumers. This includes:
- translations of patient-reported outcome measures surveys and information resources into 10 languages
- a new portal for carers, to complete and review surveys for people they care for
- consumer and carer information; and decision-support guides to help clinicians understand the data and make shared-decisions with patients
- enhanced workflow to welcome young people to complete surveys
- functional enhancements to make the platform more accessible
- a community of practice has been developed for health professionals to share lessons learnt.
“For my patients that are wary of technology, the new big buttons have been wonderful,” says Dom Bullock, Osteoarthritis Chronic Care Program Coordinator in Northern NSW. “I also like being able to enter the survey on behalf of a patient, when needed.”
Enhancements will continue to be made as HOPE is rolled out to more local health districts and specialty health networks across NSW.