Talking to children – It’s all about the know how

Patients’ experiences is a crucial component of measuring healthcare quality, along with patient safety and clinical effectiveness. Yet, until recently, most attempts at collecting feedback about children’s care have either been given from their parents’ perspective, or have been conducted on a small scale and in silos. Though parental feedback adds value, there has been little national evidence about care experiences through the children’s own eyes.

Quality patient experience provision should be embedded into the culture and day to day routine of any care provider. Measuring and understanding CYP experiences is essential, but it’s only the first step on a ladder to care quality improvement, not the final destination.

In a paper published in HSJ, Picker shares why we must actively seek children and young people’s experiences to producing meaningful and actionable feedback that will improve children’s care. Furthermore, Picker shares why the use robust and age-appropriate tools and methodologies is central to achieving this.