Speak Out April 2017

Branch News

Victoria

COMMUNICATION IS A basic human right. Yet it is estimated that more than five per cent of all Australians have a communication difficulty and that this number is likely to be higher in health care settings. Research tells us this group are three times more likely to experience an avoidable adverse event, and may be denied the opportunity to participate in their own healthcare decision making to their fullest ability. While it is highly likely these consumers have a poorer experience of care than others, we do not have good data to confirm this or to guide service improvements. Although Eastern Health (EH) routinely collects consumer feedback and uses this data to improve care, consumers with communication difficulties are typically excluded. They literally have less of a voice than others. This project stemmed out of a Change Day Pledge to find an effective mechanism for EH consumers with communication difficulties to have a greater voice regarding their experience of care and to raise awareness of this group’s needs and rights. Over the past two years the EH Speech Pathology Department and the Centre for Patient Experience have collaborated to identify and embed systems which enable consumers with communication difficulties to participate in EH feedback mechanisms. Speech pathologists now routinely conduct monthly patient experience surveys with consumers with known communication difficulties. This data is included in the EH dataset, better reflecting the diversity of our patient population. The feedback from consumers with communication difficulties is also analysed separately, allowing direct comparison of their experience with others. Preliminary analysis indicates this group indeed have a significantly poorer experience of care than other EH consumers. Speech pathologists have also partnered with many members of the senior leadership team to assist them to conduct leadership “walk-arounds” with consumers with communication difficulties. Our patients have been honoured to have the opportunity to speak directly with our senior influencers and decision makers. Even patients dependent on augmentative communication devices have been able to have their say. This Change Day Pledge is now the subject of a research project with data collection concluding on 30 June, 2017. Ongoing data collection and analysis of trends over time will be utilised to inform targeted service improvements. By empowering our patients to tell us in their own words about their experience of care and how it can be improved we hope to enable them to participate more fully in their own healthcare decision making, to reduce risk and to improve equity. Chris Bruce Associate Director Allied Health (Speech Pathology), Eastern Health In our own words: Do consumers with communication difficulties have a different experience of care than other patients? (An Eastern Health speech pathology department project)

VIC 1734 members as at February 2017

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April 2017 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Speak Out