2018 Volume 19 Issue 1 Pages 7-10
Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare newly introduced medical fee for supporting consultation system for the purpose of communication improvement between patients and medical staff in revision of medical payment system in 2012. As a result, Kyushu University Hospital established Advisory Office for Patients where medical social workers as dedicated staff accept complaints and consultations from patients.
We investigated the methods and importance of in-hospital colabolating system to handle complicated and wide-range complaints from patients need cooperation among various departments to settle smoothly.
We reviewed the details of consultation cases accepted from May to October in 2015 at the Consultation & Support Center. Consultation which require exclusive knowledge of medical issues such as symptoms or medical treatment was the largest part and complaints was followed；however, this was also difficult for only medical social workers to deal. This shows that it is necessary for medical social workers to ask for cooperation to various in-hospital network. Many of complaints arised from mis communication between patients and medical staff. Therefore, corresponding to each case politely and kindly leads to the improvement of patient's satisfaction and the decrease of medical litigation. We are continuously trying to blush up skills of medical social worker to correspond consultation more quickly and appropriately.
