Surgeon General Message: Patient Identification Questionnaire
April 17, 2023 - Defence Stories
Quality improvement is a crucial component of health care. The Health Services Quality Improvement Program uses patient feedback, ideas and complaints, patient safety incidents, and staff observations and ideas to consistently evaluate and improve the health care delivered in our CAF medical and dental clinics. An initiative was launched nationally in 2022 regarding proper patient identification. Numerous CAF members have the same name as well as, at times, the same last 3 digits of their service number. Incorrect patient identification when delivering health care can result in, but is not limited to, delayed or inappropriate treatment or referrals, misfiling of information and privacy breaches, or patients being required to return to the clinic to repeat testing such as blood work or X-rays.
A standardized process was launched, for ensuring patient identification was confirmed prior to delivery of health care in CAF clinics, to ensure that all patients are properly identified prior to any encounter, examination or treatment. Since the launch of this initiative, medical and dental clinic staff are required to request military or other government-issued photo ID, as well as confirm all patient demographic information is up to date on their medical record. For patients, this means being asked to confirm their name, date of birth, address, email and other specific information to the clerical staff prior to being booked, or registered, for appointments. Prior to any service delivery, all medical and dental staff are required to confirm the identity of every patient using two unique identifiers, which can include first and last name, service number, date of birth and address.
Follow up and evaluation is a necessary component of all quality improvement initiatives. CAF members, as well as foreign military members and their families who access care at CAF medical and dental clinics, who have interacted with medical and dental clinics since June 2022 will be asked to provide feedback on their most recent interaction. The Quality Improvement Program is requesting your assistance with evaluating the success of this implementation and will ask your participation in providing feedback through 7 questions which can be accessed through the link below. The survey will remain open until 18 May 2023.
While participation is completely voluntary, it is incredibly beneficial for our team and will help us ensure you are receiving the safest care possible. Participation will allow the quality improvement team to continue to develop and implement future initiatives to improve the quality of health services delivery.
The following link can accessed on DWAN or using a personal device using O365 login credentials: https://forms.office.com/r/LewcDr69BL
If you have any questions or concerns regarding data collection, you may contact:
QualityImprovement-Ameliorationdelaqualite@forces.gc.ca
Major-General Marc Bilodeau
Surgeon General, Canadian Armed Forces