Responding to the tāngata whai ora voice: an Aotearoa New Zealand quality improvement solution.

Abstract

Understanding and responding to the voice of people receiving mental health and addiction services is imperative. The policy environment in Aotearoa New Zealand is shifting to place greater value on gathering input and feedback from people accessing health services. This viewpoint article looks at the use of patient reported experience measures (PREMs), with a particular focus on mental health and addiction services and the development of Mārama Real-Time Feedback (Mārama). Measures examining people's experience of health services are used widely internationally. Mārama is one tool that has been specifically developed for the Aotearoa New Zealand context. The tool can be completed by people accessing mental health and addiction services (tāngata whai ora - people seeking wellness) along with their whānau. People with lived experience of accessing mental health and addiction services provide critical leadership supporting the use and implementation of Mārama within services. Feedback gathered through Mārama must be actioned to truly improve services. This action can return power to tāngata whai ora who may otherwise feel powerless in the health system.