An Evolution of Evaluation for the Patient Voices Network

Last summer, we kicked off a deep dive into what and how we monitor and evaluate when it comes to Patient Voices Network activity. We know it’s important for everyone involved in patient engagement efforts to reflect on and make note of what is working well, what could be improved and what’s happening as a result of patient and public participation in health system improvement.  

With input and participation from patient partners, health care partners, the PVN Oversight & Advisory Committee and an evaluation expert, we started by mapping out a logic model for PVN to clearly see the inputs, activities and outcomes of our collective work together. From there we agreed on the questions we really wanted to answer about PVN and through a detailed evaluation framework, mapped out how we would go about answering them. The last step was to create a few new measurement tactics, retire some old ones and refresh a few oldies but goodies!

Here are some changes you may start noticing next month:

• Replacing the “check-in survey” with an email-based check-in checklist. Engagement Leaders will send this to patient and health care partners together, to encourage direct communication with one another to resolve any unmet needs and align expectations about the work together.
• Reintroducing the “end of engagement survey” for health care partners. This’ll allow us to gather more frequent and specific feedback on the service and support provided by Council staff and to keep an eye on trends in engagement processes and outcome measures.
• Refreshed “end of engagement survey” for patient partners. We’ve broken it into three main parts:  the support you receive from us here at the Council; the process and experience of the engagement; and the outcomes and learnings from the engagement.
• Closing the Loop – Flexibility in format & 90 day goal. Instead of asking health care partners to complete and submit a standard form, we’re encouraging them to Close the Loop with their patient partners in whatever format is most feasible and meaningful for those involved. No one likes to be left waiting and wondering, so we’re also adding a strong recommendation that it occurs within 90 days of an engagement ending. Read more about Closing the Loop here!
• Introducing an optional exit interview for patient partners withdrawing from PVN. This is to help us better understand the factors that contribute to a patient partner’s decisions to leave PVN.
• Introducing a “PVN Pulse” engagement every three years to connect with all PVN patient and health care partners to inform priorities for PVN. Stay tuned!

There are many moving parts to the renewed evaluation strategy, all with a focused purpose and specific audience for the results. Pieces that can and should be shared with a broader audience will be included in the PVN Annual Reports.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to engage with any evaluation requests that land in your inbox. It certainly helps us to better help you! Questions? Email us at pvn@bcpsqc.ca.