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18 June 2010

RSBY Patient Experience Data Gathered Through Survey Tool

Westat India is conducting a feasibility study of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) Beneficiary Experience Survey. The feasibility study is implementing a standardised survey tool for use in measuring RSBY patient experience with recent in-patient hospitalisations. This tool will help the Government learn about patient experience with the programme and begin to measure the impact.

The RSBY Beneficiary Experience Survey gathers information on the following:

• Patients' satisfaction with the recent hospitalisation,
• Interactions with hospital staff, and
• Perceptions of the hospital environment.

While clinical outcomes, treatments provided, and hospital safety can be measured in a variety of ways, for measures of patient experience, the patient is the best or only source of information.

The survey will ask respondents a series of questions in eight domains:

• Awareness/use of RSBY programme
• Wait time
• Communication with hospital staff
• Nursing care
• Hospital environment
• Medication
• Discharge information
• Satisfaction

RSBY is a Central Government Scheme launched on October 1, 2007. Its objective is to provide the insurance to cover below the poverty line (BPL) families from major health shocks that involve hospitalisation. As of June 2010, nearly 16 million BPL families and 4,840 hospitals across 26 States had enrolled in the RSBY scheme.

For more information:

• Westat India: contactus@westat.in (email link)