Exploring how health inequalities are conceptualised and measured in patient experience surveys in acute care: a protocol for a scoping review.

Abstract

Introduction: Measuring patient experience has become standard practice in many countries. However, despite the widespread awareness of the impact of health inequalities on various aspects of health, including patient experience, a comprehensive examination of whether and how health inequalities are measured in patient experience surveys has yet to be completed. The ways in which these surveys conceptualise health inequalities may have important implications for how information about inequalities in patient experience is reported and used to allocate resources and plan quality improvement in health services.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to map measured and overlooked health inequalities in patient experience surveys in acute care and explore what factors potentially explain current conceptualisations and measurement practices of these health inequalities. Inclusion criteria: Papers and survey programmes that contain survey materials relating to adult patient experience measurement in any acute care context will be included. No limits will be placed the personal characteristics of people who completes the survey.

Inclusion criteria: Papers and survey programmes that contain survey materials relating to adult patient experience measurement in any acute care context will be included. No limits will be placed the personal characteristics of people who completes the survey.

Methods: A search strategy was developed with an information specialist. The database search will be limited to after September 2021. Reviews, opinion pieces, letters, editorials, conference proceedings and other such sources will be excluded as a publication source. Grey literature searches will be completed, and relevant experts will also be contacted to identify any patient experience surveys not captured through database or grey literature searches. Non-English papers will be included only if resources allow. Two independent reviewers will complete title and abstract, and full-text screening. Additional reviewers will resolve any conflicts. A data extraction form developed by the review team is being used. The extracted data will be analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis, a qualitative method used to examine how power, dominance and inequality are enacted in text.