Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) in chronic heart failure

Abstract

Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) is an essential tool for assessing the quality of chronic disease management. The optimal method for delivering a PREMs survey however is unknown. This study reports two methods for assessing PREMs in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). A bespoke online and postal survey delivered to community-based CHF patients in Scotland. A total of 121 patients (73 postal and 48 online) completed the survey. The online cohort were younger, had less contact with a CHF nurse, were more likely to see a CHF doctor and seemed less satisfied with the quality of clinical services. The postal cohort returned fewer negative comments (20 [27.4%] vs 28 [58.3%]; p<0.0001). Several recurring themes were identified. There are differences in participation rates and responses between postal and online surveys; the accuracy of the feedback gathered using these methods is therefore difficult to determine. Clinicians should consider offering a range of options to enable patients to reflect and 'voice' their opinions regarding clinical services.