On June 30, 2023, Women’s College Hospital (WCH) will launch a new socio-demographic patient survey – We Ask Because We Care, created by Ontario Health (OH). We Ask Because We Care replaces the Toronto Local Health Integration Network’s (TC-LHIN) 2015 survey. The new survey is more reflective of contemporary language, diverse experiences and identities.
All Toronto hospitals are required by OH to launch the revised survey. The survey will be available on myHealthRecord and through the registration kiosks. All patients who have a myHealthRecord will be prompted to complete the new survey seven days prior to their visit. Patients will also be prompted to complete the survey on kiosks when they check-in for their appointment.
Collecting this data will enable WCH to better understand our patient population, as well as better identify potential inequities related to quality of care, access to care, care experience and health outcomes. In addition, this data will be provided to OH at an aggregate level to support system-level planning.
Responses will be stored directly in each patient’s health record. As a result, teams will be better positioned to improve services and programs, plus support culturally appropriate care. This could include actions like providing interpretation services in the individual’s preferred language, referring them to a social worker or accommodating a disability you were previously unaware of.
To help answer patient and family member questions or concerns related to We Ask Because We Care, we have developed a webpage on WCH’s website for frequently asked questions (FAQs) and a brochure. These materials will launch the morning of June 30. Later we will rollout additional supports for staff and physicians including more FAQs if needed, a script, meeting updates and Connect articles.
The launch of We Ask Because We Care marks another important step towards building an organizational culture focused on equity, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility at WCH. For any additional questions related to the survey, please reach out to the Office of Equity