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CheckUP works with partner organisations and health providers to create healthier communities and reduce health inequities through a range of initiatives.
View allCheckUP works with partner organisations and health providers to create healthier communities and reduce health inequities through a range of initiatives.
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View allJacqui Hawgood CheckUP’s, Surgical Support Manager for the Eye and Ear Surgical Support (EESS) program, discusses how program evaluation has not only shaped the coordination process of the program but has also benefitted the specialists, hospitals and Aboriginal health services involved in delivering care.
The Eye and Ear Surgical Support program, over the past few years, has benefitted immensely from the collection of patient reported experiences of the surgical journey.
The collection of feedback and reviewing and implementing of recommendations where possible, has helped facilitate quality improvement throughout the patient’s surgical journey, improving attendance, overall support throughout the pathway, and ultimately clinical outcomes.
From a program implementation perspective, the use of Patient-Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) has emphasised the key elements that truly promote a culturally safe experience, resulting in:
Reduced patient stress levels.
Higher patient attendance rates, including pre and post-surgery clinical care.
Patients championing surgery back in community encouraging others to access treatment.
The below key learnings acknowledged across the evaluated surgical pathways, have informed the delivery of surgery and have been built into the coordination process:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers attending appointments with patients.
Coordinating surgical group appointments with fellow community members.
Having a support person/carer travel with patients to assist with clinical and practical domains.
Culturally sensitive communication and support both from the facilities and health providers.
Providing adequate transport support and appropriate accommodation options.
Clear communication of post-surgery follow-up care to patients.
Clear communication between providers involved in the patient’s pathway prior to surgery and post-surgical follow-up.
Ensuring each patient’s involvement in their own healthcare decision making.
CheckUP are keen to work with all outreach providers interested in incorporating patient feedback into their practices’ quality improvement processes. CheckUP are currently collaborating with several providers and program fund holders keen to develop patient reported measures relevant to their specific environments and health service pathways.
CheckUP welcomes your expressions of interest in patient-centred program evaluations. If you would like to discuss exploring innovative methods to collect patient feedback specific to your needs, please contact CheckUP Lead Evaluator Philippa Hawke.
ContactCheckUP Australia is committed to value-based healthcare. By partnering with health consumers and their communities alongside health service providers, CheckUP encourages and supports patients to participate in improving the appropriateness, timeliness, cultural safety, effectiveness and efficiency of services delivered to them.
Evaluation program