Improving patients' and staff's experiences of acute care.
The aim of this audit was to assess the effect of the Quality Mark programme on the quality of acute care received by older patients by comparing the experiences of staff and older adults before and after the programme. Data from 31 wards in 12 acute hospitals were collected over two stages. Patients and staff completed questionnaires on the perceived quality of care on the ward. Patients rated improved experiences of nutrition, staff availability and dignity. Staff received an increase in training and reported better access to support, increased time and skill to deliver care and improved morale, leadership and teamwork. Problems remained with ward comfort and mealtimes. Overall, results indicated an improvement in ratings of care quality in most domains during Quality Mark data collection. Further audits need to explore ways of improving ward comfort and mealtime experience.
Royal College of Psychiatrists, London.
Rob
R
Chaplin
Jacob
J
Crawshaw
Chloe
C
Hood
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom
Audit cycle; data collection; feedback; inpatient care; quality improvement; questionnaires