Digital methods to enhance the usefulness of patient experience data in services for long-term conditions: the DEPEND mixed-methods study

• DOI: 10.3310/hsdr08280
• Publication Date: 2020-07-02T11:22:51Z
• Authors: Caroline Sanders; Papreen Nahar; Nicola Small; Damian Hodgson; Bie Nio Ong; Azad Dehghan; Charlotte A Sharp; William G Dixon; Shôn Lewis; Evangelos Kontopa...; Gavin Daker-White; Peter Bower; Linda Davies; Humayun Kayesh; Rebecca Spencer; Aneela McAvoy; Ruth Boaden; Karina Lovell; John Ainsworth; Magdalena Nowakowska; Andrew Shepherd; Patrick Cahoon; Richard Hopkins; Dawn Allen; Annmarie Lewis; Goran Nenadic
• Keywords: Medicine (General); digital participation; mixed methods; patient experience; patient feedback; digital health; rheumatology; text mining; mental health services; 16. Peace & justice; quality improvement; 3. Good health; patient experience data; 03 medical and health sciences; R5-920; 0302 clinical medicine; co-design; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270

Background Collecting NHS patient experience data is critical to ensure the delivery of high-quality services. Data are obtained from multiple sources, including service-specific surveys and widely used generic surveys. There concerns about timeliness feedback, that some groups patients carers do not give feedback free-text may be useful but difficult analyse. Objective To understand how improve collection usefulness in services for people with long-term conditions using digital capture improved analysis comments. Design The DEPEND study a mixed-methods four parts: qualitative research explore perspectives patients, staff; use computer science text-analytics methods analyse comments; co-design new tools usefulness; implementation process evaluation assess any impacts. Setting Services severe mental illness musculoskeletal at sites as exemplars reflect both health physical long-terms conditions: an acute trust (site A), B) two general practices (sites C1 C2). Participants A total 100 staff members diverse roles management, clinical practice information technology; 59 21 participated components. Interventions comprised survey completed tablet device (kiosk) or pen paper/online version; guidance text-mining programs; reporting templates; eliciting recording verbal community Results We found lack understanding giving feedback. People wanted more meaningful informal suit local contexts. Text mining enabled systematic analysis, although challenges remained, provided additional insights. All managed collect digitally; however, there was perceived need resources, engagement varied. Observation indicated were apprehensive kiosks often would participate support. collecting made sense participants, successfully adopted, workload technical problems highlighted barriers. Staff thought insightful, observation did reveal changes during testing period. Conclusions can produce improvements Context flexibility important, complemented alternative methods. provide on large sets within organisations, small organisations. Limitations New time support adopted this had limited resources time. Future work Further needed text-analysis routine evaluate impact (digital non-digital) service improvement varied contexts among carers. Funding This project funded by NIHR Health Delivery Research programme will published full ; Vol. 8, No. 28. See Journals Library website further information.