What is Patient Experience?

Patient Experience is the sum of all interactions that influence how patients and families experience the health care system. This Patient Experience Week, we are presented with a new challenge - continuing to foster a good experience for patients, clients and family members in the midst of a crisis. 

Patient experience in the time of COVID-19

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, health care systems are being challenged more than ever before. This means that our staff, physicians, and researchers across our sites and services have been gong above and beyond and working extra hard to provide a quality care experience to patients and families. Across our sites, staff have modified programming and adapted quickly to keep patients and families engaged, informed and importantly - safe.

How are staff supporting clients?

• All sites:  For safety reasons, our sites have had to limit non-essential visitors meaning our patients and clients can't see their family members and loved ones as much as they might like. To combat this, sites are taking advantage of virtual options (cell phones and tablets with FaceTime and Zoom) so that our patients can stay connected to their loved ones, physicians, and legal counsel. This not only helps to minimize the impact of social isolation, but ensures that families have a mechanism to continue to stay involved in their loved one's recovery.
• FPH: Forensic Psychiatric Hospital is opening up the kitchen for patients to cook for fun outside of their regular programming
  
• Burnaby Centre is meeting with clients weekly at Residence Councils to have open, honest conversations about COVID-19. These sessions are helping to answer questions, and address any anxieties
  
• Correctional Health Services is responding proactively to prevent infection and keep people in custody safe, while prioritizing client experience. CHS Staff and Physicians are going the extra distance to screen every client admitted to a Correctional Centre, conduct wellness checks, delivering diagnosis, donning PPE, addressing concerns about COVID-19 and supporting clients to self-isolate upon release.  During this heightened time, CHS clients have expressed gratitude to staff and physicians for the support through the process.
  

Keep in touch

If you or your loved one has a mental health or substance use issue, and you are interested in working with us to make our services better, contact the BCMHSUS Patient Experience and Community Engagement team at engage_bcmhsus@phsa.ca