Examples

The child patient's pathway from A&E to the Imaging Department

A&E radiography is often performed as an emergency: as a result of this, building a rapport with patients from A&E is difficult and the patient's and carer's perspective may not always be considered.

Staff recognised the lack of specific paediatric information available in the A&E imaging department. They developed a series of posters, specifically aimed at children and put along the wall at child's eye level, informing them of their journey from the A&E waiting area to the x-ray room.

To complement the mural on the walls leading from the A&E waiting area to the imaging treatment room, an information/activity sheet will be linked with the mural so that the child can fill in the sheet in the waiting room and trace various things in the mural on his/her way to the treatment room. The journey becomes less intimidating and hopefully fun.

Staff also decided that parents may not have enough information either, and posters are also in production to advise and assist them. These will be placed above the children's posters at adult eye level.

The department has worked with the Community Health Council to ensure suitable wording on the posters.

The child patient's experience: dedicated paediatric list

As there is no separate paediatric unit in an imaging department, children and adults are on a mixed list for imaging treatment. However, since the raised consciousness of paediatric care, there is now a dedicated paediatric list, which enables children to get through the system quicker.

Reducing waiting reduces patient anxiety

Patients were waiting 39 days for thoracic surgery. They sometimes got lost in the system. Closer working in the multidisciplinary team, and new practices, have reduced the wait to 13 days. Patients' progress through the system is tracked, so they don't get lost. This significantly reduces patients' anxiety.

Talking over worries before admission

Patients are phoned by the clinical nurse specialist for thoracic surgery to talk with them about their admission. They are offered alternative dates, their needs are discussed, they have the opportunity to ask questions, and they can call her back. Previously, patients would receive a letter out of the blue giving them a date for surgery: they would panic and quite a number didn't turn up for their operation. Patients are now much less stressed and anxious, and the average in-patient stay has been reduced from nine days to six.

Preparing patients for lifestyle changes after surgery

Whilst patients are in hospital, they all have a contact card for the clinical nurse specialist for thoracic surgery so they can ring her if there are any problems when they get home. She is also piloting a leaflet, based on patients' questions, including information about preparing for temporary and permanent changes to their lifestyle, analgesia and wound care. Knowing how stressful patients find the waiting for results, she has worked with the histopathologists to reduce unnecessary delays.

Patient diaries planned

The use of patient diaries is planned in a thoracic unit. Patients would have a notebook or perhaps a tape recorder and take notes about their thoughts, worries, their symptoms, questions they want to ask a doctor or nurse. Diaries can act not just as an aide memoire but also as a record of experience: notes about their care which can be used by staff.

Back to: Baseline assesment criteria

Top of page