Usefulness of a national parent experience survey in quality improvement: views of paediatric department employees

Objectives This study presents results from an electronic survey among paediatric department employees, addressing employees' attitudes and use of results from a national parent experience survey carried out in 2005. Methods Electronic questionnaire survey of employees from each of the 20 paediatric departments included in the national survey, with a response rate of 87%. Results The employees had favourable opinions of user experience surveys, and the results from the national survey were well known among both managers and other personnel. User experience surveys were considered important, and 56% reported that they had implemented improvement actions addressing problems identified in the national survey. Managers reported more often than staff without managerial responsibility that the results had been informally discussed, and that the survey was useful for their own department. Department leaders were more positive to the usefulness of the survey than non-leaders. Significant differences in attitudes were found between physicians and other health personnel. Conclusion Employees in the paediatric departments were positive to user experience surveys, and the surveys have a potential to be actively used in quality improvement actions. Effects of the quality improvement initiatives should be assessed in future parent experience surveys.