With the activation of face-to-face consultations after the COVID-19 lockdown, in 2021 the need arose to establish an evaluation model for outpatient consultations in order to implement any necessary improvements in terms of organization, technology, services and infrastructures.
The hospital’s aim with the introduction of the project is to collect in a homogeneous and systematized way the needs expressed by patients, so as to increase the quality of care at the Hospital Clínic Barcelona.
Some of these improvements include new services, such as the simultaneous visits for patients with breast cancer, establishing a mixed model that combines virtual and face-to-face visits. So far, 25 women have taken part in the pilot programme for this simultaneous visit service.
Moreover, the building’s signage has been improved, in order to make it easier to identify spaces and visualize waiting rooms and services, eliminating information that is of no importance to patients. Appointments in both paper and digital formats have also been modified. Up until now, the format was very different and it has been unified and simplified so as to offer the patient the information they need to know quickly.
The implementation was possible thanks to the participation of over 40 patients and volunteers in the evaluation model. This allowed focus groups to be conducted with the centre's professionals, as well as interviews, workshops and online surveys. Of the 4,000 surveys sent out to the hospital’s three centres (Villarroel, Plató and Maternitat), over 2,000 replies were obtained, which evaluated aspects such as: time between visits, punctuality, scheduling, dealing with formalities, and gender discrimination.
This is an initiative that forms part of the hospital’s strategic plan, led by the Citizen Service Unit, together with the patient experience evaluation team (living lab). It is also supported by Athenea Solutions, the Strategy and Planning Management Department, the Economic and Financial Department, the Infrastructure and Biomedical Engineering Department and the Corporate Social Responsibility Area.
