May 26, 2022 | Our Patients

How Did We Do Today?

An illustration showing feedback from a STARS Very Important Patient. It reads "Thank you for saving my life, because of you I got to finally come home to my husband and my baby."

An overwhelming 94 per cent of patients cared for by STARS recall having a positive experience with our service, according to new survey results.

Although we are pleased with the results, reaching 100-per-cent satisfaction is our goal.

We believe patient care extends beyond safe treatments, medication administration and transport. How our crews interact with you and your family plays an important role in the overall care we provide. Learning from our experiences, our interactions with you and your family, as well as the care, enables us to be better in the future.

Recently, we began surveying our patients, to gauge how they felt about the care we provided on what was potentially their very worst day.

“We often have patients coming to visit our bases and meet the crew who helped them, but some patients are unable to, so we wanted to ensure their voices were captured,” said Stephanie McAllister, program lead, patient safety and clinical quality assurance. “The feedback allows us to better understand the care we provide and identify if there are potential gaps to be filled.”

Feedback is shared with every level of organization; from the volunteer board of directors to front-line crew who provide care. “It’s important everyone sees and understands how actions we take in the aircraft, at a scene, or in a hospital impact the patients,” said McAllister.

Between April 2021 and February 2022, we have seen a 25 per cent return rate on 1,553 surveys. About six per cent of respondents indicated they “can’t remember” their experience, which often relates to the severity of their condition.

Responses in which patients or their families are unsatisfied are especially important.

“On the rare occasion that negative responses are returned, we launch a full investigation to define and resolve a concern that has been
raised. This involves a group of stakeholders from the key areas where the concern has originated who work together to identify what we can do as an organization to find and implement improvements.”