People-centred care is defined as care that is respectful and mindful of people’s preferences, needs and values, but that also ensures clinical decision-making is guided by them. While the relationship between doctor and patient has long been a somewhat “paternalistic” one, where decisions were mostly based on what the doctor thought was best, people-centred care is closer to a partnership between the healthcare professional and the patient (and potentially also close relatives). It requires effective communication and joint reflection on the best course of action.
This dimension of care quality revolves around acknowledging people’s needs, desires, and preferences, but also around fostering effective communication, which relies on both parties being open and respectful in listening, explaining, and conversing. It also encompasses involving individuals in their care by offering the autonomy to manage their treatment and make informed decisions.
However, assessing whether care is really focused on the people who receive it remains a real challenge, because this is not a question that can be easily answered with numbers and figures. Instead, we have selected a number of indicators based on surveys and/or measures of patients’ experience in the field:
- The percentage of patients who felt the doctor had spent enough time with them during the consultation (QP-1)
- The percentage of patients who were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care (QP-8)
- The percentage of patients who had discussed their priorities in managing their own health and well-being with their healthcare provider (QP-9)
- The percentage of patients who rated their last consultation with a healthcare professional (physician, nurse…) as good to excellent (QP-10)
- The percentage of patients who reported they had a care plan that took into account all their health and wellbeing needs (QP-11)
- The percentage of patients who reported they always received useful information when they needed it to help them manage their health and well-being (QP-12)
- The average percentage of patients reporting a positive experience in maternity, C/D beds or one-day hospitalisation (QP-13)
QP-1 is based on the Belgian Health Interview Survey (HIS).
QP-8 to QP-12 are based on the Belgian pilot Survey of People Living with Chronic Conditions (PaRIS), initiated by the OECD and implemented by Sciensano. The PaRIS survey aims to develop and use standardised tools to assess whether people feel the care provided by their GP meets their needs.
QP-13 is based on data on patient-reported experiences collected as part of the Pay-for-Performance programme.
*This indicator will be updated on the website (https://www.healthybelgium.be/) when the next HIS study becomes available **This indicator will be updated on the website (https://www.healthybelgium.be/) when the comprehensive PaRIS study becomes available.
Percentage of patients who feel the doctor (GP or specialist) has spent enough time with them during the consultation (% of respondents) (QP-1)
Results
- In 2018, more than 95% of Belgian patients reported that their doctor had devoted enough time to them. This high level of satisfaction remained consistent across all age groups, genders, and regions.
- This percentage was slightly lower for specialists than for GPs; for specialists, satisfaction rates were also slightly lower in 2018 than in 2013.
- The Belgian satisfaction rate for this item is the highest of all 10 EU countries included in the international comparison.
Link to technical sheet and detailed results
Percentage of patients involved as much as they want to be in decisions about their care (% of respondents) (QP-8)
Results
- In 2022, the majority of Belgian patients (98.4%) were involved as much as they wanted in decisions about their care “to some extent”, “more often than not” or “always”.
- Overall, results varied little between regions, age groups, genders or income levels.
- However, the percentage of respondents who felt they were “always” involved in their care as much as they wanted was a little higher among those in the highest income group and residents of Flanders.
Link to technical sheet and detailed results
Percentage of patients who discussed their priorities in managing their own health and well-being with the healthcare professionals involved in their care (% of respondents) (QP-9)
Results
- In 2022, the majority of Belgian patients (97.3%) reported being involved “to some extent”, “more often than not” or “always” in discussions about what was most important to them in managing their health and well-being.
- There were only limited differences between regions, age groups and genders.
- However, the percentage of respondents who felt they were “always” involved in such discussions varied considerably between age groups. It was particularly high in people aged 60 to 64 and 75 to 79. It was also higher in the highest income group, though overall satisfaction with this item (i.e. the total of “to some extent”, “more often than not” and “always” answers) was lower in this group.
Link to technical sheet and detailed results
Percentage of patients who rated their last consultation with a healthcare professional (physician, nurse,…) as good to excellent (QP-10)
Results
- In 2022, 96.6% of Belgian patients rated their last consultation as good to excellent. This percentage was a little lower in Wallonia (95.9%) than in Brussels (97.8%) and Flanders (97.0%).
- There were no major differences based on gender, age or income, with the possible exception of the youngest age group (45-49 years old), where the percentage of satisfied respondents was only 71.3%.
Link to technical sheet and detailed results
Percentage of patients who reported having a care plan that takes into account all their health and well-being needs (QP-11)
Results
- In 2022, only 33.9% of Belgians reported having a care plan that took all their health and well-being needs into account. This percentage was considerably higher in Wallonia (54.9%) than in Brussels (40.0%) and Flanders (18.3%).
- Older people were more likely to report having a suitable care plan than their younger counterparts.
- Likewise, people with a lower income were more likely to report having a suitable care plan than those with a higher income.
Link to technical sheet and detailed results
Percentage of patients reporting always receiving useful information at the time they need it to help them manage their health and well-being (QP-12)
Results
- In 2022, only 46.0% of Belgian patients reported always receiving useful information to help them manage their health and well-being when they needed it. This percentage was lowest in Wallonia (42.2%), followed by Flanders (47.2%), then Brussels (58.8%), though this was somewhat balanced by the share of people who felt they “often” received enough information (38.7%, 24.9% and 32.4% respectively).
- Men were more likely than women to report that they always received useful information. Patients in higher income brackets were the most likely to report always having the information they needed.
Link to technical sheet and detailed results
Average percentage of patients reporting a positive experience in maternity services, C/D beds and one-day clinics (QP-13)
Patient satisfaction is increasingly taken into account in the financing of care in Belgium, particularly through the integration of patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) in the Pay for Performance (P4P) programme of hospitals, which accounts for a (limited) part of their budget.
This indicator measures the share of Belgian patients who reported a positive experience in hospital wards meant for acute, short-term hospitalisations (“C beds” for surgical treatments and “D beds” for other medical treatments), in a maternity ward or in a one-day clinic.
Results
- In 2022, the majority of patients (91.5%) reported positive experiences in Belgian hospitals.
- This percentage was higher for maternity wards (97.7%) than for C/D beds (96.2%) and day clinics (80.6%).
- Overall, patient-reported experiences have slightly improved over the years. However, changes in methodology make it difficult to compare results.