STANDARDS FOR IMPLEMENTING A UNIT OF USER’S EXPERIENCE IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS

Background:The implementation of a user’s experience unit or service (UXU) in health and social organizations is key to ensuring that people are listened to, valued and integrated into decisions for the provision of services

La Unió is an association of 115 health and social entities concerted with the Department of Health and the Department of Social Rights of Catalonia. In a survey carried out among these entities, it was evidenced that:

• 82% of the user’s experience referents, a group of different professional profiles, feel supported by the centre's management, but
• only 23% of these referents work full-time and
• only 14% believe that the rest of the organisation knows what these units do and what value these units can bring

 

Approach: La Unió organized a workshop, participated by 22 professionals from different disciplines, to define the standards necessary to create a unit of UXU in health and social organizations.

 

Results: The requirements for creating a UXU unit are classified into 4 areas:

1.Functions of the UXU: including the detection of needs, the improvement of user satisfaction, health education, the generation of knowledge, the dissemination of the culture of participation into the organization and the evaluation of results and social impact

2.Position of the UXU in the organization. It is recommended an independent management of UXU without carrying on other functions, with dependence or direct relationship with the entity’s management committee. The UXU should maintain a transversal scope and a closer connection with the rest of the services and units

3.Availability of resources: it’s mandatory to have adequate funding and a multidisciplinary team of professionals from the social and health sciences with knowledge of the provision of services and communication skills.

 

The use of appropriate methodologies and technology is also required to be able to complete the task and evaluate the results. It is a priority to work on the calculation of the social impact (ROI) that improves the safety and quality of care, the feeling of belonging, the capacity for transformation and innovation and the prestige of the organization.

4.Areas of relationship: it is essential to have the possibility of working with users and families, with the main stakeholders of the community, with the municipalities and with the rest of the health and social organizations.

 

Impact:The recommendations have been disseminated among the 115 entities of the Union and the implementation of UXU in 3 entities has been supported.