Improving care using patient feedback

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has published a themed review of its research into patient feedback.

Improving Care by Using Patient Feedback brings together nine recent NIHR studies looking at how NHS organisations use patient feedback to improve services.  

The evidence ranges from online ratings to real-time feedback in different settings, from hospital wards to general practice and mental health.

There are also insights into new ways of mining and analysing big data, using online feedback, and approaches to involving patients in making sense of feedback and driving improvements.  

NIHR 

Five ways to help people understand health information

The Health Literacy Place has produced a guide outlining five approaches to help ensure patients understand the information they are given.

It says professionals may underestimate people's health literacy needs and someone's ability to understand information should never be assumed.

The guide outlines five approaches to aid understanding which should be considered as a minimum.

They are: teach back, chunk and check, use of simple language, use of pictures and routinely offering help with paperwork.

The Health Literacy Place

Implementing online patient feedback

A recent evaluation looked at how an acute hospital trust placed into special measures implemented online patient feedback.

In this blog author Rebecca Baines shares some of her findings.

Her evaluation looked at the factors facilitating or inhibiting the implementation of feedback and the impact on staff members.

The Point of Care Foundation

Get Online Week 2019 report

Good Things Foundation has published its post-campaign report of Get Online Week 2019.

Get Online Week 2019 recruited community organisations across the UK to help individuals improve their digital skills.

This year 93% of event holders said the week raised awareness of digital inclusion and the benefits of digital skills.

Good Things Foundation

New resources raise awareness of malnutrition

A new bank of resources has been created to help those who are supporting older people spot the signs of malnutrition.

Eat Well Age Well has produced posters, leaflets and guides to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of malnutrition throughout 2020.

The resources are free to download from the campaign's website.

Eat Well Age Well

Shared GP appointments aim to give patients more information

A BBC report explores the use of shared GP appointments to give patients more time with their doctor.

The appointments, which are in addition to traditional one-to-one appointments, aim to give patients more information about their condition.

This is because they are longer and because the appointments are shared with other people with the same or similar conditions.

The group consultations are only used for those who already have a diagnosis.

BBC

Collaborate with the RCGP

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is inviting applications to collaborate with its Clinical Innovation and Research Centre.

Applications can be submitted online before 28 February.

The centre is also hosting an 'advancing primary care open day' on 3 February for those interested in applying.

The event is open to GPs, health charities, national bodies, grant funders, academic and research organisations and others who wish to collaborate with the college.

More information on the application process and the open day is available on the RCGP website.

RCGP

App and website accessibility requirements

Public bodies are being urged to make sure their website and apps meet accessibility requirements.

Most existing websites, published before 23 September 2018, will need to comply with new regulations by 23 September this year.

Websites created after 23 September 2018 should already be meeting the accessibility standards.

The deadline for meeting app accessibility requirements is 23 June 2021.

Full guidance can be found on the government website.

Gov.UK