DOHA: The Supreme Council of Health (SCH) will soon launch a nationwide survey to gauge public satisfaction with private and public health care facilities in the country.
This is the first comprehensive patient satisfaction survey in the country that covers all health care providers, a senior SCH official said yesterday.
Being conducted by the Healthcare Quality Management Department at SCH, the survey will cover all private clinics and hospitals, the facilities under the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), and the primary health centres. "The survey will be carried out by a competent private agency and will cover a large cross-section of the Qatari and expatriate population. The purpose is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the health care sector, with a focus on each provider. No such survey on this scale was carried out in the country in the past," Dr Jamal Rashid Al Khanji, director of the Healthcare Quality Management Department told The Peninsula yesterday.
People will asked their opinion about the services of the health care providers in all areas -- prices, treatment, waiting time, facilities, customer care and the performance of doctors, paramedics and other staff, among other issues. "We are working on the details to make the survey as comprehensive as possible. Besides asking people to fill up a questionnaire, the survey team may also contact people directly over telephone since this is found to be a best way to get their opinion," said Al Khanji.
"Since it is an extensive survey, it would take several months to complete. We expect to complete the project by the year-end. The findings will be published for information of the public," he added.
The survey will help the SCH to identify facilities which are not up to the mark.
"We will contact them directly and force them to take the necessary steps to improve their services," added Al Khanji. He said SCH will soon announce the findings of a previous survey focusing on patient safety in the public and private health care facilities in the country. The Peninsula
© The Peninsula 2012
