Early results of new hospital surveys suggest New Zealand patients are a little happier than their British counterparts.
The Government's Health Quality and Safety Commission this month published the second quarterly survey of patients about their hospital experience.
Commission director of health quality evaluation Richard Hamblin told the Otago Daily Times he was ''nervous'' about comparisons, but many of the questions were the same as those asked by the National Health Service, in Britain.
At this stage, it seemed the New Zealand system had been rated slightly higher by patients.
It was important to note differences in the survey methodology used by the two systems.
''I'm cautious about making any sort of comparisons,'' Mr Hamblin said.
Patients gave high marks for ''humanitarian'' questions such as whether they had been treated with dignity.
In contrast, just 47% said they were told about possible side effects of medicine.
''That's an easier thing to sort [side effects information] than a system where people are scoring poorly on the humanitarian questions - that would really worry you.''
About 85% of people used email or text to respond, rather than post. Email was the most successful electronic means of responding.
''Overall, email seems to elicit a much greater response - why that is, we're less certain.''
Nationally, the response rate was just 27%, which was similar to other countries. The commission aimed to improve the response rate to 40%.
More than 6000 inpatients between November 3 and 16 were asked to rate their experience of communication, partnership, co-ordination, and having their physical and emotional needs met.
They were also asked 20 detailed questions.
The results
Overall, did you feel staff treated you with respect and dignity while you were in the hospital?
Yes: 87% (SDHB: 91% )
Do you think the hospital staff did everything they could to help control your pain?
Yes: 82% (SDHB: 82%)
Before the operation did staff explain the risks and benefits in a way you could understand?
Yes: 86% (SDHB: 82%)
Did the hospital staff include your family/whanau or someone close to you in discussions about your care?
Yes: 55% (SDHB: 47%)
Was your condition explained to you in a way that you could understand?
Yes:73% (SDHB: 80%)
- Source: Health Quality andSafety Commission
