Understanding the consumer experience in outpatient occupational therapy services
Liana De Michele1, Emily Mickelborough11Occupational Therapy Department, The Prince Charles Hospital , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Abstract
Background: Patient centred care is characterised by responsiveness to patients’ needs and preferences to guide therapeutic activity, interaction, information-giving, and shared decision-making. Three new occupational therapy outpatient clinics were trialled in a metropolitan hospital in South-East Queensland to meet gaps in service provision. We aimed to explore whether the new clinics, focused on diverse clinical needs including oedema, cognition, and palliative care, adhered to patient-centred care and were meeting consumer expectations.
Method: A cross-sectional mixed method survey design was used to capture consumer experience. Consecutive patients presenting to each clinic were invited to complete a consumer satisfaction survey via a secure online platform at the end of their care.
Results: During the initial two month trial, forty surveys were collected, with 97.5% of respondents reporting a “good” or “very good” experience with the clinics, and 100% of respondents reporting that they “would recommend this service to others”. Qualitative responses highlighted the patient centred focus of the clinics and provided clear impact statements on their perceived benefit e.g. “I don’t feel as useless as when I came in”, “very comprehensive and specific to the difficulties of the patient”.
Discussion: Consumer input is vital to detect clinical responsiveness and inform service planning. Survey feedback highlighted that the occupational therapy outpatient services are highly valued and personalised, providing evidence in support of value-based healthcare. Future work will draw on a larger sample and measure changes in health-related quality of life scores to evaluate the new models of care and impact on patient experience.
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