Shellharbour Hospital has performed well for patient satisfaction according to BHI survey results. Photo: Kellie O’Brien.
Patients admitted to Shellharbour Hospital last year were extremely satisfied with their care according to new survey data, but miscommunications or lack of information continued to be a concern for those who used the region’s health facilities.
Overall care and the quality of health professionals in the region’s hospitals have received high ratings in the latest Bureau of Health Information (BHI) survey results, with the snapshot revealing the experiences of more 1500 patients who used the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) hospitals in 2024.
“The district welcomes any opportunity for feedback to help improve our services, and the Adult Admitted Patient Survey is one of the ways we hear from patients about their experiences of care,” ISLHD Executive Director Clinical Operations Margaret Martin said.
“Strong overall results around compassion, respect and kindness emphasise the district’s focus on the patient experience from admission to discharge.”
Ninety-eight per cent of respondents rated their overall care at Shellharbour Hospital either ‘very good’ or ‘good’, compared to just 87 per cent of Wollongong Hospital respondents selecting one of those top two categories.
Ninety-four per cent of Shellharbour’s patients said they were ‘always’ treated with dignity and respect, with 91 per cent saying health professionals were ‘always’ kind and caring.
“Shellharbour Hospital has been a strong performer in this survey, with improvements or higher than state average results in 15 performance areas including trust and confidence in health professionals, and involvement in decision-making.”
Wollongong, however, fell just short of the state average, with 83 per cent rating dignity and respect in that highest level and 78 per cent reporting health professionals as ‘always’ kind and caring, although the majority of the remaining patients answered ‘yes, maybe’ to these questions with just 2 per cent saying ‘no’ to each.
But there were also issues across the board with communication, with one in five respondents saying they did not receive enough information on their condition or treatment during their Wollongong Hospital stay, with almost one in 10 reporting the same issue at Shellharbour.
Thirty per cent of Wollongong respondents and 23 per cent of Shellharbour’s also said they received conflicting information about their condition or treatment from the health professionals to some extent.
“The survey also highlights areas where a stronger focus is required, and the district remains committed to improving performance across our facilities,” Ms Martin said.
She said this commitment was evident through initiatives such as the rollout of the teach-back program across the district, which is “a simple communication technique used by clinicians to explain things clearly and check patient, carer and family understanding” as well as the Healthcare Experience Listening Program “which involves collecting stories from patients of their experiences to be used in clinician education and reflective practice”.
Regarding hospital discharges, 13 per cent of Wollongong’s surveyed patients said they did not feel like they were well enough to leave hospital, with 20 per cent saying they were not told who to contact if they were worried about their condition or treatment after their stay.
This area is hoped to be improved with the district creating “a dedicated working group aimed at improving the completion of more consumer-friendly discharge summaries to patients and GPs”.
The survey captured a portion of adult participants who were admitted to the hospitals between January and December 2024.
For more information on the data visit the Bureau of Health Information website.
