Being safer in hospital
Medibank is constantly working towards helping Australians have a safer hospital experience
and better health outcomes. See how Medibank is seeking to better support our members before, during
and after a hospital stay.
Listening to our members
Medibank, in conjunction with a market research firm, IPSOS, has commenced regular surveying of
members who have had an overnight admission at a Members' Choice hospital. The Medibank Private Member
Hospital Experience Survey provides valuable insights into members' hospital admissions, including satisfaction
levels with treatment, the physical environment, communication, staffing, and admission and discharge processes.
What are some of the key findings?
The most recent survey found that our members are highly satisfied with the performance of our Members'
Choice Hospitals, in particular the skills and knowledge of clinical staff, including nurses, doctors and
specialists. The skills and knowledge of doctors were especially highly rated, with 96% of members rating
them 'good' or 'better'. Similarly, the skills and attitude of nurses were highly regarded, with 91% of
members satisfied with the care provided. Overall it appears that private hospitals are getting things
right in the eyes of members.
What is happening as a result of the findings?
In completing the survey, members are indicating the areas of care and service provision that are of most
importance to them and where their needs are not being met. Members' Choice Hospitals receive a comprehensive
report of how they fared in the survey and the areas where they are both exceeding members' expectations and
where they could do better.
Our Members' Choice Hospitals have responded positively to the survey results and have informed Medibank
of the strategies they have implemented or planned to address the issues and concerns that members
have raised.
Supporting you in hospital
Medibank Support Representatives assist members with their health cover during a hospital stay at selected Members'
Choice hospitals. After all, when our members are in hospital, getting better should be their only concern.
Our staff have personally assisted over 19,000 members to get the most out of their health cover by
providing information including:
- benefits that are payable under their cover
- claiming procedures
- waiting periods
- adding newborns onto memberships
- assisting members to access Medibank's betterhealth programs
- out-of-pocket expenses
The Medibank Support Service is currently available in the following Members' Choice hospitals:
Victoria
- Epworth Freemasons (Obstetrics only), East Melbourne
- Epworth, Richmond
- Mercy Private Hospital, Fitzroy
- St Vincent's Private Hospital, Fitzroy
Western Australia
- Bethesda Hospital, Claremont
- Mercy Hospital - Mt Lawley, Mt Lawley
- St John of God Hospital, Subiaco
Queensland
- Greenslopes Private Hospital, Greenslopes
- Holy Spirit Northside Private Hospital, Chermside
- John Flynn Gold Coast Private Hospital, Tugun
- Mater Misericordiae Women's and Children's Private, South Brisbane
- Mater Private Hospital - Redland, Cleveland
- Mater Private Hospital, South Brisbane
- North West Brisbane Private, Everton Park
- Pindara Private Hospital, Benowa
- St Andrew's Hospital, Brisbane
- St Andrew's Hospital, Ipswich
- St Andrew's Toowoomba Hospital, Rockville
- St Vincent's Hospital Toowoomba, Toowoomba
- The Wesley Hospital, Auchenflower
SpeakUP for better, safer healthcare
Medibank encourages members to seek out information about their healthcare so that they can
make informed decisions about their health.
To assist you in this process we have created SpeakUp, a set of guides with simple advice on how to make
your healthcare a good experience. As a patient, you can make your care safer by being active, involved and informed.
Improving safety across Australia
As part of our commitment to safer healthcare for all Australians, Medibank has supported the development of new approaches to critical issues for patients, including new advances in
medication management, infection control and preventing venous thrombosis. Results from these innovative projects
are communicated across the healthcare industry, helping all Australians to be safer in hospital.
View a Summary of these Medibank Safety and Clinical Improvement Incentive Pool Results:
Safer healthcare
When you buy a car, book a holiday or plan a wedding, most people ask a lot of questions so that everything
goes according to plan.
Well, your health care should be the same - yet too many people don't ask questions and the results can be
life threatening.
10 tips for safer health care
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Be actively involved in your own health care. Taking part in decisions that are made about your
treatment is the single most important way to help prevent things from going wrong and to get the
best possible care for your needs.
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Ask questions and speak up if you have concerns. It's OK to ask your doctor questions and expect
answers that you can understand.
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Learn more about your condition or treatments by asking your doctor or nurse and by using other
reliable sources of information.
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Keep a list of all the medicines (prescription, over-the-counter and complementary) you are
taking and any allergies you have.
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Make sure you understand the medicines you are taking. Always read the label and warnings and
always double check that the medication is exactly what the doctor prescribed you.
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Make sure you get the results of any test or procedure - no news is not necessarily good news.
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Discuss treatment options. Talk to your health care professional about your treatment options
if you need to go into hospital
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Make sure you understand what will happen if you need surgery or a procedure - what procedure
is taking place, who will be delivering it, and what it will involve.
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Confirm with both your doctor and the surgeon the detail of what procedure is required and when
it will be done.
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Before you leave hospital, ask your doctor or other health care professional to explain what
medication or ongoing treatment you require. Always see your GP when discharged.
Source: Medibank, in conjunction with the Australian Commission for Safety & Quality in Health
Care, has produced a booklet called '10 Tips for Safer Health Care' as part of our commitment to promote
the provision of safe, high quality health care for our members.