Joint Neurological Conditions Survey
What's it all about?
To compare the effectiveness of different clinician/patient consultations and treatments and develop an understanding of how to plan future resources and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the consultation and treatment system for neurology patients
Purpose
- To ascertain the views of both patients and carers about the availability of neurology services and their experiences of those services.
- To ascertain how well patients and carers rate a) the level of understanding of health professionals, social services and the voluntary sector and b) the effectiveness of these people at helping patients to manage their conditions.
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To produce a report that makes evidence based recommendations to commissioners and providers about neurology services in Berkshire West. The results of the surveywill be analysed and cross compared and discussed with key voluntary sector groups before producing these reports
Feed back: The provision of independent patient and carer feedback on current neurological services to commissioners and providers
Improved access to services : by identifying gaps in services and the potential financial and patient related benefits from remedial action it is anticipated that commissioners and providers will implement such action.
More effective services: by identifying poorly performing services, it is anticipated that the attention of providers and commissioners can be focussed on improving effectiveness through training, service reform or other measures
Public awareness: it is anticipated that the report will increase public awareness of the problems faced by patients with these conditions so that the pressure for increased investment can be sustained. It is also hoped that awareness of the existence and potential of LINks will be generated.
Anonymous postal survey of members of neurological voluntary sector organisations. The questionnaires are designed to produce statistical information on service usage and intensity of use and to provide qualitative information on the understanding levels and effectiveness of service providers. There are many opportunities for adding comments and West Berkshire based volunteer transcribers converted these into digital format. Reply-paid envelopes are supplied. All initial analysis and drafting of reports is conducted by the West Berkshire LINk. Subject to recently imposed budgetary constraints it is hoped to use a respected independent contractor such as the Picker Institute to comment on the conduct of the survey , the resultant analysis and the validity of the conclusions
Survey size
1,300 patients and carers across a range of neurological conditions predominantly located in the Berkshire West PCT area. The focus has been on Fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, MS, Parkinson’s, Polio late affects, Stroke, Dystonia and Dementia. In the past two weeks permission has at last been obtained from the Epilepsy Society to circulate 230 of their members.
For more information about this project
For more information, contact Michelle on: Michelle.Wooff@makesachange.org.uk