Hospital asks for feedback by text | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

Wngnui Hsptl wnts a txt frm u.

In a New Zealand first innovation, Wanganui Hospital has begun a four-week trial of a text-based feedback system.

Patients and family members waiting at eleven sites around the hospital will notice signage around the walls encouraging them to text in any positive or negative feedback they have about their experience at the hospital.

Hospital customer relation's officer Sue Penfold said the text-based system was a new avenue for receiving customer comment, and would run alongside traditional feedback forms.

"A lot of people won't sit down and fill in a form but they will send a text, especially younger people, I think a lot of them would prefer to do that."

"It's allowing the community to give their feedback, but we also want to use it as a positive thing for our staff. To let them know when they're doing a good job or when somebody has given a compliment about them."

Messages go to a private website monitored by Ms Penfold. All texts to the hospital will receive an automated response, but the beauty of the real time transaction means Ms Penfold can also respond personally.

"Even though the system is not designed for people to make formal complaints, if there are concerns being raised, because I can see them in real time I can have a look at them and I might be able to step in and intervene and resolve something that might be brewing."

"For example, if someone's getting unhappy about something happening at that time, I can send a message back asking if they would like me to come and see them or I can ring them and talk to them about their issue," Ms Penfold said.

The hospital currently gets "easily 80 percent positive feedback," Ms Penfold said, and they are hoping the text system will continue to be a source of positive reinforcement for the staff.

At the end of the four-week trial, the hospital will be evaluating the effectiveness of the text-based system.

"Four-weeks isn't a very long period of time to compare it necessarily with information we may have received through other means, but I think I'll give us a really good idea of the type of feedback people are giving, and also give us some idea of the areas that are generating the most feedback," Ms Penrose said.

Fried Marketing director Adam Hutchinson will be monitoring customer reaction to the new system by spending time in the waiting areas around the hospital.

At the end of the trial Mr Hutchinson will present a report to the hospital on the effectiveness of the trial and any trends that have arisen.

"It's mainly for positive feedback, but also for negative as well, it'll allow the hospital to identify areas of improvement," said Mr Hutchinson.

Standard messaging rates will apply to the texts.