(9) Patient's Evaluation of Healthcare Flashcards
Why has there been an increased interest in patient satisfaction? Describe the policy changes as a result.
- Researches shown that happier/more satisfied the patients are, the healthier/better adherence
- NHS Patient Prospectus: an account of patients’ views & resultant actions taken by them
- Involving patients & the public in healthcare
- Health authorities & trusts must involve & consult patients & the public
- Patient Based Outcome: ensures patients have a positive experience of care
Suggest the ways we can directly investigate patient’s views on healthcare
- Qualitative: interviews/focus groups/observations
- Quantitative: questionnaires/reports/surveys
Suggest the ways we can indirectly investigate patient’s views on healthcare
- Patient’s complaints e.g. via Patient’s Advice and Liaison Services
- Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Reports
Suggest some things that can cause patient dissatisfaction.
- Health outcomes
- Competence
- Waiting times
- Poor communication with doctors (e.g. lack of consultation time to express complaints, unable to receive appropriate advice, assurance not conveyed)
- Culturally inappropriate care
What are some of the disadvantages of the functionalist approach to understanding the patient-professional relationship?
- Some patients may never recover
- Some patients abuse the sick role to take them out of responsibility illegitimately
- Assumes all the beneficial effects and rationality of medicine
- Assume patients are incompetent and must have a passive role, don’t have expertise doctors do
Describe conflict theory in the understanding of the patient-professional relationship.
- Doctors hold all the powers, not only the product of professional values or technical expertise, but also holds the bureaucratic power e.g. GP decides whether go to the hospital
- Patients’ opinions are discounted e.g. doctors know best. They become dependant on medicine, lose self-reliance and become sick
What are some of the disadvantages of conflict theory in the understanding of the patient-professional relationship?
- Patients not all passive e.g. non-adherence
- Patients may act submissive during consultation, but insist on their own opinions/actions after
- Medicalisation of things lead to inappropriate respects for that thing
Describe interpretivism/interactionism in the understanding of the patient-professional relationship.
- Both parties give to the encounter e.g. An unspoken/unwritten relationships between the doctors and patients of how a consultation should go
How is the patient centred/partnership model different to the other models suggested to explain the patient-professional relationship?
- Patient centred/partnership model is aspirational that the two can come to an agreed plan they are both happy about
- Whereas the rest are explanatory of the relationships between doctors and patients
Describe the patient centred/partnership model in the understanding of the patient-professional relationship.
- An aspiration that the relationship can be less hierarchical and more cooperative
- Shared ownership between the doctors and patients, decisions are made on agreements
- Address concerns/preferences
Describe the function of the Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS)
- Listen to patients’ concerns/suggestions/experiences
- Provide on-spot advice
- Give info about process of making complaints
- An early warning system by identifying problems or gaps in services
Describe the role of Local HealthWatch.
- Independent network of individuals or community groups that ensure the services provide meet with the local wishes and needs
What are some of the disadvantages of patient centred/partnership in the patient-professional relationship?
- Some patients just want to be told what to do
- Sometimes patient’s opinions/decisions may be harmful and doctors need to make the appropriate decision
Describe the functionalism model in the understanding of the patient-professional relationship.
- Doctor is all powerful, make appropriate decision for the benefits of patients not their own goods/get rewards/money
- Patients play a sick role which that they are legitimaly free of responsibilities and social status now demands care, need to seek out expert help and shouldn’t abuse this sick role
