Cambridge Memorial Hospital is getting better grades from patients and visitors according to a recent satisfaction survey that puts the hospital in the top 50th percentile among other community hospitals across the province.
The hospital’s semi-annual patient experience report was presented during last week's hospital board meeting using data that compiled complaints, compliments, and patient and visitor suggestions over the last year.
It noted hospital staff responded to 518 files with 970 issues made up of 488 complaints, 232 compliments and 250 requests or suggestions.
Data collected between April and December 2020 was complete for the report, but information collected between January and March of this year was still subject to change.
The projected number of files to go on record through fiscal year end is 612 and represents a 16 per cent increase in annual volume that staff attribute to COVID-19-related issues from April to December 2020, reads the report.
By far, the department that received the most complaints and compliments over the last year was emergency.
The department handled over 41 per cent of total complaints and received nearly the same amount of compliments.
Close to 200 of those complaints were for patient care and treatment, while 83 were logged for attitude, 72 for communication and 62 complaints were about access.
Care and treatment accounted for 164 compliments throughout the hospital, while attitude of staff resulted in 62 compliments from happy patients and staff.
Hospital staff is also improving its response to patient concerns with 84 per cent of responses happening on the same day, 94.8 per cent of responses happening within two days and 99.1 per cent happening within five days.
An external satisfaction survey asked patients and visitors if they would recommend the hospital.
The biggest jump in patient satisfaction in response to that question was in short term observation stays (OBS) with 76.9 per cent of respondents saying they would recommend CMH, up from 56.5 per cent the previous year.
Surgery also saw an increase with 73.5 per cent of patients saying they’d recommend CMH, up from 59.5 per cent in 2019-2020.
The medical and emergency departments also noted significant increases in patient satisfaction, despite coming in below the 50th percentile mark when compared to other community hospitals.
Patients in medicine, surgery and short-term stays also responded positively to questions about room cleanliness and night-time noise.
All departments noted a considerable increase over the 2019-2020 satisfaction survey.
Where the hospital came in on par or noted a drop was when it came to questions around family and friend involvement in decisions involving care.
This drop was attributed to visitor restrictions and communication challenges related to COVID-19.
CMH has tried to improve patient communication with loved ones throughout the pandemic visitor restrictions by introducing four iPads that are circulated among patients for virtual visits with family members.
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