Fifth Sense launches survey to capture patients experiences of navigating the healthcare system
Fifth Sense is launching a survey to capture patients’ experiences of navigating the healthcare system. We know that so many of you face real challenges in getting support, advice or treatment from your doctors, although there are success stories too. The survey has been designed to capture data that will highlight both these challenges and successes as part of our ongoing efforts to improve awareness amongst the medical profession and improve patient experience.
We believe that this is the first piece of research to focus specifically on this issue and we’re very proud to be part of a multidisciplinary project team.
Supported by a grant from Newcastle Medical School, Fifth Sense have partnered with Mr Sean Carrie and Stephen Ball from Newcastle Freeman Hospital and Newcastle University and Olfactory Mapmaker Kate McLean and her colleague Rachel Hancock. An event in Newcastle in November 2018 brought together Fifth Sense and Voice North members to share experiences and help with the design of the survey. Kate and Rachel made drawings that captured the issues discussed and asked guests to complete ‘smell wheels’ to visually represent their own smell experiences.
The results of the survey will be used to:
– Inform Fifth Sense’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness of smell and taste disorders amongst the medical profession and the need for widespread education/training for healthcare professionals
– Help us develop information aimed at both patients and healthcare professionals to help ensure that patients have the best possible experience when seeking medical advice
– Help future efforts to improve the patient journey through the healthcare system for people with a smell/taste disorder
– Provide data to support applications future research studies and projects
– Kate and Rachel are designing a poster to accompany the results which will visually represent some of the challenges faced by patients
– The results will be published in an appropriate medical journal and on the Fifth Sense website
The survey is completely anonymous and should take no longer than 10-15 minutes to complete. It is based on the UK healthcare system but it should still be relevant if you are based in another country. We would like contributions from people outside the UK as this data may help to show that this is a global issue. We’d also like to hear from parents of a child with a smell/taste disorder who have sought medical advice as it’s important that your voices are heard too.
Click here to complete the survey
The deadline for completing the survey is 1st April 2019
We very much value your input and thank you in advance for your time in completing this survey. We will share the results on our website in due course.