The Health Care Quality through the Patient’s Eyes: An Independent Online Survey’s Results. Part II

Abstract

The patients’ participation in the health care quality evaluation has become an important milestone for the high-performing health care systems’ development. The theoretical aspects of the health care quality concept evolution and the patients’ role in this process were considered in the first part of this study (Zabelina O.V. (2022) The Health Care Quality through the Patient’s Eyes: An Independent Online Survey Results. Part I. Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes. No. 2. P. 342–358. https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2022.2.2035). In this article, the author analyses the results of the patient survey. In addition, since the methodological approaches to the participatory surveys and surveys related to the health care sector in general have certain specifics, the author covers these issues in detail in this part of the study.

The analysis of the online-survey results allowed to identify the most important criteria for the quality of medical care from the patients’ perspective and to get their current estimates. Additionally, the author evaluated level of the patients’ participation in this process. In several cases, the issues covered in the survey were similar to those included in the polls held by the relevant government agencies. Comparison of the results of an independent survey and an official monitoring confirms the objectivity of the information provided by patients and emphasizes the need for the patients’ involvement in the process of the health care quality evaluation. Some of the data obtained in the survey explain the widespread negative attitude towards similar patient polls, as well as the refusal of the patients to file complaints about the health care quality. The study provided an independent evaluation of the health care quality, tested the capacity of the patients’ involvement in the health care improvement, and demonstrated a patient-centered approach in practice.