A qualitative analysis of child and family complaints related to child mental health services.

PROBLEM: Little is known about issues of patient-reported problems, in particular within psychiatric services for children with mental ill health. Child and family complaints related to child mental health services can be analyzed and discussed in light of the universal human right to health and healthcare. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze child and family complaints related to child mental health services. METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive design was used. Child and family complaints were analyzed with a qualitative thematic analysis. FINDINGS: The findings were described in three themes describing lack of access to care, inadequate communication between services and children with mental ill health and their families, and lack of clarity of who is responsible for care, leading to neglect of children's needs. These issues place a huge responsibility on parents or relatives. CONCLUSION: Better communication within mental health services, and better collaboration with other services such as school and social services, could limit children's suffering. Healthcare services with named professionals who specialize in child mental health and provide continuity in care, are required. General human rights principles should guide planning and care of children.

'Are they really allowed to treat me like that?' - A qualitative study to explore the nature of formal patient complaints about mental healthcare services in Sweden.

The improvement of mental healthcare services requires patients' experiences to identify problems and possible deficits in care. In this study, we explored the nature and meaning of formal patient complaints about mental healthcare services in one region of Sweden using a descriptive design with a qualitative approach. A systematic random sample of 106 formal patient complaints about mental healthcare services in 1 Swedish county was selected and analysed thematically, based on descriptive phenomenology. Themes identified were: lack of access to mental healthcare services and specialist treatment, problems related to unmet needs and difficulties with healthcare staff, insufficient care and treatment and lack of continuity in care, and experiences of not been taken seriously or feeling abused by staff. The vulnerability of patients already in the system is a greater issue than realized. The human right to health and the healthcare of patients with mental ill health can be strengthened by increased access to care, listening to patients properly, and delivering continuity in care.

Unmet health-care needs and human rights-A qualitative analysis of patients' complaints in light of the right to health and health care.

BACKGROUND: This study focuses on patient complaints from a human rights perspective. Despite the UN Convention on Human Rights being widely recognized, it has not previously been examined in relation to patients' complaints on health care. A human rights perspective and the right to the highest attainable standard of health are a major sustainability challenge in health care today. Previous research points to patients' complaints as a growing concern for health-care organizations, and the handling of this concern can lead to improvement in health-care services. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to analyse patients' complaints on health-care services and to examine expressed needs for health care from a human rights perspective. METHODS: In this descriptive study, a random sample of 170 patient complaints about Swedish health-care services were qualitatively analysed from a human rights perspective. RESULTS: The complaints are described in three themes: the right to available and accessible health-care services, the right to good quality health-care services and the right to dignity and equality in health care. Questions of availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality are highlighted by patients and/or relatives making complaints on health-care services. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the human right to health in relation to patient complaints. Findings indicate that this right has been breached in relation to availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality in health-care services. Further debate, education and investigations are necessary to ensure that patients' rights to health and health care not be taken for granted.

The nature of patient complaints: a resource for healthcare improvements.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the nature, potential usefulness and meaning of complaints lodged by patients and their relatives. DESIGN: A retrospective, descriptive design was used. SETTING: The study was based on a sample of formal patient complaints made through a patient complaint reporting system for publicly funded healthcare services in Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: A systematic random sample of 170 patient complaints was yielded from a total of 5689 patient complaints made in a Swedish county in 2015. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Themes emerging from patient complaints analysed using a qualitative thematic method. RESULTS: The patient complaints reported patients' or their relatives' experiences of disadvantages and problems faced when seeking healthcare services. The meanings of the complaints reflected six themes regarding access to healthcare services, continuity and follow-up, incidents and patient harm, communication, attitudes and approaches, and healthcare options pursued against the patient's wishes. CONCLUSIONS: The patient complaints analysed in this study clearly indicate a number of specific areas that commonly give rise to dissatisfaction; however, the key findings point to the significance of patients' exposure and vulnerability. The findings suggest that communication needs to be improved overall and that patient vulnerability could be successfully reduced with a strong interpersonal focus. Prerequisites for meeting patients' needs include accounting for patients' preferences and views both at the individual and organizational levels.