NHS compassion targets?

[Mulder]

"Compassion is listed as a core value in the draft constitution for the NHS in England, and the government is developing methods for measuring it. "

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7797868.stm

How do you measure compassion?

[Matt]

"Compassion is listed as a core value in the draft constitution for the NHS in England, and the government is developing methods for measuring it. "

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7797868.stm

How do you measure compassion?

Customer satisfaction surveys - which means that the appearence of compassion is more important than the genuine article

[Pebble]

To make the NHS cost effective a target oriented culture has been enforced. Survival in the system is dependent on meeting the 4 hour A&E target, the 18 week referral to definitive treatment target, lenght of stay targets, hand washing targets, audit targets, prescription targets, mortality rate targets etc.
No system can be all things to all men, so one must decide whether one is prepared to pay for the extra time and oversight required to deliver a friendly service as well as an efficient one. However, my imprssion from the inside is that the vast majority still consider compassion as one of the priorities - just that pressures force a degree of brevity of patient contact that is not welcomed and taken as a lack of care, I think abuses such as those highlighted in the media are uncommon. Some robust data would be useful.

[Mojo]

How do you measure compassion?


http://www.xenu.net/archive/books/bfm/tomato.jpg

[Mulder]

Customer satisfaction surveys - which means that the appearence of compassion is more important than the genuine article

With a question like "Did you feel you were shown compassion during your stay in hospital (please rate 0 for none to 5 for beyond the call of duty)?"

I still don't see how you can measure compassion, any more than you can measure love...

[Matt]

Apparently it has been decided that the new unit for beauty will be the milliHelen.

One milliHelen is said to be the beauty required to launch one ship.

[lost thought]

Apparently it has been decided that the new unit for beauty will be the milliHelen.

One milliHelen is said to be the beauty required to launch one ship.

A wooden, fiberglass or metal ship as you know the metal ones are sore on the nose and the wooden one cause splinters and as for the fiberglass the fumes make one a dizzy blonde. And dont get me started on the modern multi fibre carbon laminates............>:D

[ZERO]

Helen of Troy?

Didn't she have the hips that launched a thousand faces?

[al_capone_junior]

"Compassion is listed as a core value in the draft constitution for the NHS in England, and the government is developing methods for measuring it. "

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7797868.stm

How do you measure compassion?

OK. I've got my clipboard, and I set up the test...

A small, pathetic looking dog with a very short, very heavy chain and oversized collar is tied to a post near a walkway, partially blocking the sidewalk. The "test subject" walks by... I observe their reaction.

I now put a check in the appropriate box:

____ Kicked dog.

____ Did not kick dog.


Then I collect my sweet government grant check.
:totty:

al

[NorthernSoul]

You forget, they will need a control...someone to kick the dog at regular intervals.

[Tim the Mage]

Leaving aside the obvious impracticalies of measuring compassion, we do expect those treating us to be compassionate (although we might want competence, technical knowledge and attention as more significant emasures of effectiveness).

This is the (rather sick-making) response from the NHS Confederation:



“There is no quick fix for compassion. Addressing the problem of compassion in the NHS is a wide cultural, leadership and management issue. It is also an issue for every professional.
“It will be very difficult to measure and benchmark compassion – particularly at the level of the ward. We do need to improve the measures we use to assess the quality of nursing but the element of compassion is not easily quantified. It is much more straightforward to measure clinical outcomes and it is invaluable to get feedback from patients. We need to start by using and refining existing measures before we consider new ones.
“The measures must be owned at local level, backed up with training and support.”
http://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/press-releases/nhs-confederation-responds-announcement-on-measuring-compassion-from-health-secretary-$1227886$364420.htm



Is this one approach?

http://ijahsp.nova.edu/articles/vol5num2/cawley.pdf

[Matt]

Compassion is not just a worthy objective in it's own right but more importantly a means to an end. Trust is a vital part of the doctor patient relationship. Without it patients may choose not to disclose symptoms or other data pertinant to the diagnosis. They may not follow through on advice given by the doctor. Overt displays of compassion are just one way to bring about this trust. On the other hand there's patients like me who want to be well informed, understand how the doctor has arrived at their conclusions and know what alternatives have been considered. A compassionate doctor might choose to spare me the warts and all approach and take a more paternalistic tone "Doctor knows best" which wouldn't be engender trust in my case.

[lost thought]

The best people to teach about compassion and how to gain trust are off course con men/women as this is there stock in trade they display great amounts of compassion tug at heart strings cause the unsuspecting to trust them then walk off with every thing. who beter to teach these than a confedence trickster.. ;D O0

[Pebble]

The best people to teach about compassion and how to gain trust are off course con men/women as this is there stock in trade they display great amounts of compassion tug at heart strings cause the unsuspecting to trust them then walk off with every thing. who beter to teach these than a confedence trickster.. ;D O0


And of course in the area of medicine we have a ready made population. The solution therefore is for alternative medicine gurus to be placed in charge of delivering compassion on the ground.

[Tim the Mage]

And of course in the area of medicine we have a ready made population. The solution therefore is for alternative medicine gurus to be placed in charge of delivering compassion on the ground.

Reminds me of that quote from (I think) Huey Long about politicianS: "Sincerity is everything, if you can fake sincerity, you've got it made."

[Matt]

The best people to teach about compassion and how to gain trust are off course con men/women as this is there stock in trade they display great amounts of compassion tug at heart strings cause the unsuspecting to trust them then walk off with every thing. who beter to teach these than a confedence trickster.. ;D O0


You may be right but I wouldn't pay them up front.