According to a survey released on Tuesday by the New Brunswick Health Council, approximately 80 per cent of patients in New Brunswick hospitals reported a very good overall experience during their stay.
However, the feedback from individuals who faced negative experiences underscores the stark contrasts present within the healthcare system, highlighted CEO Stéphane Robichaud.
He commented, “When it was not good, it was really not good,” indicating a significant disparity in care quality.
One patient articulated their frustration, describing their hospitalization as one of the most traumatic experiences of their life.
The unidentified patient lamented, “I was treated like a NUMBER, a nonhuman, a disease, a condition, but never as a PERSON,” reflecting their feelings about their treatment at one of the province’s medium or large hospitals.
This patient revealed, “I was disrespected, humiliated, and discussed very casually among the staff at the nursing station, and generally disregarded,” a sentiment that led them to leave a day early due to the staff’s behavior “and extremely bad food.”
WATCH | The report found regional differences in hospital care:
What a report from N.B. patients says about the province’s hospitals
The New Brunswick Health Council released a detailed report summarizing the results of a survey involving nearly 5,000 patients between June and November 2023.
The overall care experience is a crucial metric because it can significantly impact health outcomes, length of hospital stays, and re-admissions, according to the Council. This Crown corporation has a mandate to publicly report on provincial health system performance and engage citizens in enhancing the quality of health services.
The 2023 Hospital Acute Care Survey, conducted post-COVID-19 pandemic, provides pivotal insights, according to Robichaud.
6 key factors
The quality of care often hinges on which employees are providing treatment when a patient needs it, noted Robichaud.
Yet, the council identified six key issues affecting patient experience based on responses from 4,719 participants—all in need of improvement, he emphasized.
These critical factors include internal coordination of care, emotional support, communication about treatments and conditions, interactions with nursing staff, pain management, and safety protocols.
Robichaud illustrated that the first three aspects are essential to patient-centered care and demand immediate attention.
Only 58 per cent of respondents consistently felt there was effective communication between hospital staff and that their caregivers were well-informed about their care.
Merely 61 per cent reported always receiving emotional support necessary to address their anxieties, fears, or worries during their hospital stay.
Additionally, only 64 per cent stated they consistently received information regarding their condition and treatment options.
Type of service a factor
The kind of service offered to patients also influenced their overall experience, the survey revealed.
Surgical patients, for instance, expressed the highest satisfaction levels at 84 per cent, whereas only 75 per cent of maternity patients reported a favorable overall experience.
Patients receiving maternity care—including childbirth, cesarean sections, and preeclampsia treatments—reported lower satisfaction rates compared to the provincial average.
This sentiment appears linked to “perceived gaps” in the internal coordination of care and the perception of safety taken seriously by the hospitals, as cited by the Health Council.
One woman shared her distress over receiving “no info” on how to care for her cesarean section. She also described “miscommunication between pre-op nurses in the OR and the anesthesiologist regarding the timeline for stopping water intake before surgery.” The discrepancies in guidance left her severely dehydrated, noting nurses were also “confused about COVID rules.”
Regional differences
The survey also shed light on regional disparities, remarked Robichaud.
Patients in the Edmundston region, or Zone 4, reported a more positive experience than the New Brunswick average, whereas those in Campbellton, Zone 5, expressed dissatisfaction with their care.
Understanding the roots of these discrepancies is vital for identifying best practices, he emphasized, stating that regional health authorities would investigate the issues.
Robichaud suggested that the use of temporary staff, such as travel nurses, could contribute to these variations.
He explained, “It can be well understood that when temporary workers enter a network unintentionally, the quality standards may vary, and the dynamics of teamwork may be lacking.”
Vitalité and Horizon respond
Vitalité Health Network plans a thorough analysis of the results, said Jenny Toussaint, vice-president of logistics, patient flow, intensive care, and internal medicine.
She pointed out that Zone 4 is among the most “best-resourced” areas within the network, potentially explaining the mostly positive feedback.
Conversely, she acknowledged that Zone 5, facing significant staffing challenges, reflected lower satisfaction rates, in an emailed statement.
Vitalité consistently collects feedback through satisfaction surveys, prioritizing improvements in the patient experience, she added.
Meanwhile, Horizon Health Network’s president and CEO, Margaret Melanson, expressed her gratitude to the patients who participated in the survey, noting the results will help guide actions to enhance hospitalized patients’ experiences. (Submitted by Horizon Health Network)
Horizon’s quality and patient safety department is actively reviewing the data and will collaborate with patient care teams throughout the organization to share findings and pinpoint key areas for improvement, Melanson stated.
Additionally, Horizon has recently implemented an ongoing patient experience survey to capture real-time feedback, targeting patients who have used emergency departments, urgent care centers, or have been discharged after an overnight stay or from Horizon’s Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation.
The findings will be published online soon.
Optimistic about system ‘reset’ under Liberals
Robichaud acknowledged the complexity of healthcare, involving numerous stakeholders such as regional health authorities, extra-mural services, Ambulance New Brunswick, and provincial departments, along with the diverse needs and expectations from citizens regarding their healthcare system.
Yet he holds a positive outlook, believing New Brunswick has the essential components for care improvement.
He highlighted the survey results, which indicate that many healthcare professionals deliver excellent care and there appears to be a “reasonable consensus regarding what actions are necessary.”
With a newly elected government in place, he views this as an opportune moment to reset the healthcare system.
Premier-designate Susan Holt stated that the survey reflects the feedback Liberals have been receiving from New Brunswickers regarding their health-care experiences over recent years.
“This is why we must work on opening community care clinics across the province; they will alleviate pressure on hospitals and allow them to function as intended,” she noted in an emailed statement.
The report also “indirectly sheds light on the environments in which doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals work,” Holt added.
“From both a patient and staff perspective, we need to transform the system to enhance conditions and ensure New Brunswickers receive the highest quality of care.”
