The aim of the current study was to develop and test a methodology that could be
applied to the evaluation of the complaints processes of regulatory bodies of health
professionals in Australia including mental health regulatory bodies such as the board
that the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) are planning to set up to
regulate the psychology profession. The methodology was applied to the evaluation
of the complaints process at the Office of the Health Services Commissioner of
Victoria (HSC). There were four main research questions. The first research
question related to the extent to which the methodology was able to determine how
well the HSC was performing in their role of resolving health complaints. The second
research question explored the implications of the findings of the evaluation of the
HSC complaints process for the management of health complaints in general. The
third research question related to the strengths and limitations of the methodology
when applied in a practical setting and the final research question related to further
improvement of the methodology for future applications. Questionnaires and
telephone interviews were used to examine the experiences of 133 providers and 150
complainants whose complaints had been reviewed and closed in one year. The
methodology proved successful in assessing the performance of the complaints
process at the HSC. The findings of the evaluation indicated that complainants and
providers were generally satisfied with the process by which their complaints were
managed. However, they were in general less satisfied with the outcome. In
particular the evaluation highlighted the unintended negative consequences that
complaints processes can have on the complainants and respondents. It was
concluded that these maladaptive behavioural responses to complaints most probably
have their origins in the negative emotional overlay attached to health complaints
which has the potential to lead to unrealistic expectations of the process and
outcomes on the part of complainants, and maladaptive post-complaint practices for
health service providers. The findings highlight the importance of providing
advocacy and support for the parties involved in health complaints as a means of
minimising these maladaptive responses. Finally, it is acknowledged that these
findings are specific to Australian health regulatory systems.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/216661 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Hackworth, Naomi Jean, n/a |
| Publisher | Swinburne University of Technology. |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://www.swin.edu.au/), Copyright Naomi Jean Hackworth |
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