Patient Experience Tracker (PET) survey as measure of quality in the Neonatal Unit

Abstract

In the current era of consumerism, patient assessments of care are increasingly being considered an important dimension of quality of care. Good communication with patient or relatives is an important element in General Medical Council's (GMC) guidance on ‘Good medical practice’. Providing proper parent communication may help in improving parental satisfaction with overall care provided in the neonatal unit. The Patient Experience Tracker (PET) device is a small wireless electronic handset used to gather real time report on patient experience. The neonatal unit PET survey was started after discussion and agreement with all departmental staff. Initial resistances by some staff overcome by open and honest discussion. A good uptake and accurate response depends on the information provided to parents and family about the PET device and survey. The questions should be appropriate to the department conducting the PET survey. Staff should be prepared to respond to the PET survey findings to improve patient satisfaction and thereby patient care. Ongoing support from Hospital Management is essential to ensure the information is disseminated in a constructive manner to all concerned and appropriate actions are taken to improve overall patient experience. The PET system has the flexibility to decide on questions, and more importantly to track performance and improvement progress.