Patient experiences

Patient Experiences (PE) is a subgroup of indicators within the HCQO database and provides data on how patients perceive the care they receive. Incorporating person’s and patient’s perspectives is a key dimension of healthcare quality, promoting improved health system performance and people-centred care. The database includes indicators on unmet care needs – such as skipping consultations, treatments, or prescribed medicines due to costs – and on people-centredness, including whether doctors spend enough time with patients, provide easy-to-understand explanations, offer opportunities to ask questions or raise concerns, and involve patients in decisions about their care. Indicators are disaggregated by sex and income quintile to provide a granular view of patient experiences.

For further information, please consult:

• The HCQO Definitions document provides indicator definitions and calculation methodologies of HCQO indicators


• The Sources and Methods survey on Patient Experiences (PE) provides detailed country-specific information


• The OECD’s Health System Performance Assessment (HSPA) Framework outlines how HCQO indicators relate to the OECD’s HSPA domains of Access, Quality and People’s needs and preferences