The panel from left to right: Dr Siphiwe Mndaweni, CEO of the OHSC, Ms Letennwe Morudu, Quality Improvement Lead at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, Dr Lungi Nyathi, CEO of Alignd and Dr Deena Naidoo, Founder and Executive Director of African Association of MBA Graduates (AAMBAG).
At a panel discussion at the Hospital Show Conference about PREMS and PROMS – patient reported experience measures and patient reported outcomes measures – the conclusion was drawn that there is much room for improvement in the manner and the extent to which the capturing of this specific data makes sense.
Dr. Lungi Nyathi, CEO of Alignd, noted that while the healthcare industry has made strides in collecting PREMS and PROMS, meaningful application of this data remains a challenge.
Dr Siphiwe Mndaweni, CEO of the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) said existing efforts indicate that PREMS are already reflected—both directly and indirectly—in their Early Warning System. The National Department of Health uses Patient Experience of Care (PEC) surveys to assess patients’ experiences and satisfaction with healthcare services, aiming to improve service delivery and ensure patient-centered care. However, there appears to be no consistent measurement of PROMs.
Questions from the floor.
Dr Nyathi said that while standard toolkits exist, each healthcare environment must tailor its measurement approach to suit its specific needs—whether paediatric-palliative, adult palliative, or hospital-based care.
She emphasised that collecting data is not enough—what matters is how it is used.
“Being clear about how you intend to use the information you collect helps define what should be measured and ensures that the results drive meaningful change. Measuring for the sake of measurement benefits no one.”
She recommended conducting focus groups with patients before designing measurement tools to ensure alignment with what truly matters to them.
“What you measure must shape the design of care systems, processes, and funding. Otherwise, the system remains unchanged. We must be willing to act on this data.”
Overcoming Fear of Feedback
The panel explored ways to make healthcare systems and people less resistant to patient feedback. Many providers fear both the criticism itself, and the effort required to implement change.
The consensus? Multidisciplinary teams can play a pivotal role in alleviating this burden by sharing responsibilities for both data collection and the resulting improvements.
Dr. Nyathi concluded with a key takeaway: “We need to simplify the process. If we want behaviour change, we must make the right actions the easiest ones to take.”