Context
Aware of the major role that patients play in their own care and management, UNICANCER has set up in November 2011 a unique initiative in France: the Patients’ expectations Observatory.
Objective
To identify and prioritize the expectations of the patients and their relatives in order to adjust and improve the quality of services and care provided:
1. take into consideration the patients’ impression of the healthcare organization
2. give a concrete illustration of the new form of users’ participation in healthcare institutions, in adequation with the public authorities’ recommandations
Methods
After a conventional analysis of available data, a very innovative participatory consultation on “Hospital care and patients’ expectations” has been carried out in January 2012.
The results showed that patients expect both an effective treatment of their disease and individualized and personal support.
The expectations were then gathered into five different themes:
1. Announcement of the diagnosis and consideration of relatives
2. Coordination between the various care givers
3. Information on the treatments progress, side effects and on supportive care, including alternative medicine
4. Life outside the hospital during and after treatment
5. Hospitality Policy
Results
In 2013, 17 initiatives grouped into 6 themes based on the patients’ expectations previously determined were identified in the Centers: human dignity, patient education, announcement of the diagnosis and consideration of relatives, access to supportive care treatments, coordination of care and professional reintegration support.
Since then, these initiatives that are considered best practice models for the improvement of patients care and management have become widespread in all the Centers in order to respond to patients’ expectations in an equitable way..