n our January 2010 issue, we introduced the patient satisfaction survey, one of the HA's flagship projects. On 24 May, the Patient Relations and Engagement Department at HAHO held a seminar about this topic, which was attended by healthcare colleagues, representatives of patients' groups, HA Board members and others. The survey itself got underway in June, and 5,000 patients are expected to participate in it.

The kick off ceremony at the seminar symbolised the commencement of the patient satisfaction survey.

Speaking at the seminar, our CE, Mr Shane Solomon, said the survey would systematically collect the opinions of patients, and it would focus on researching their experience and feelings about the treatment they received in public hospitals. Mr Solomon appreciated that some front-line colleagues might be anxious about the survey's results, but he added some "mind-easing pills". "I believe most of our patients' opinions will be positive, and their comments will help us to understand better which areas of our services are not yet ideal. We therefore should not treat this survey like an exam, because the marks we score will not be the most important part of it. What we really want to achieve in this project is to discover our strengths and defects in an effective way," he said.

A seminar participant, Ms So Yuen-chun, Senior Manager (Patient Relations) at United Christian Hospital, said she isn't worried the survey will put pressure on her front-line colleagues. Instead, she believes it will reflect patients' thoughts in a comprehensive manner. "If we can find out our shortcomings through its results, then improve our services, our patients will appreciate our efforts. Also, our colleagues will surely work more happily if patients trust us and respect us more because of our quality service!" she declared.