Why tell hospitals what you think?

1. Why tell hospitals what you think? Presentation for Aboriginal staff in hospitals for Aboriginal organisations Improving the Culture of Hospitals project November 2009

2. Why is quality improvement important? • Quality improvement – It is a way for hospitals to look at how they provide services and make them better • Accountability – Hospitals need feedback to improve their services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people • Feedback - If patients or families aren’t happy about something happening in the hospital it would be a good idea to tell the Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officer (AHLO) • The AHLO is a crucial part of providing good hospital services to the Aboriginal community

3. Providing feedback • Do I have to be involved? • No. But if you do your ideas will assist other Aboriginal families • I told the hospital before about the problems but they never listen • The hospital has now made a commitment to work with the local Aboriginal community to solve these problems. They now have a way of dealing better with these sort of issues. • Isn’t the AHLO meant to fix the hospital? • No. They need to have other staff and managers to work with them to change the whole hospital

4. Providing feedback (cont) • What will happen if I say something negative about the hospital? Will they treat me worse next time? • No. If you are worried about this you could see the AHLO confidentially and tell them • Do I have to sign anything? • Hospitals use different methods to gain your feedback and in some cases may ask you to sign to give your approval to being involved in the process • Will they tell anyone else what I said? • The hospital is not allowed to tell anyone else it is against the law

5. Providing feedback (cont) The Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officer role (in some hospitals this could be a different Aboriginal position) are the key link to the hospital but for some Aboriginal organisations there may also be a direct link * This could also be another Aboriginal staff member at the hospital

6. What happens next? • What is done with the information? • Any information received will be used to improve the way the hospital provides services • How will I know it has worked? • Hopefully you will see changes at the hospital to improve things • The hospital should tell you what they are going to do • If information given anonymously the AHLO or their supervisor will feed back information to the community or family • Will I still be able to see the AHLO? • Yes

7. Finish • What if I would like some more information? • You can contact your AHLO at the hospital • Talk to the management your local Aboriginal Medical Service • Feedback is really important because it will benefit the rest of the Aboriginal community