Table 1 Statement set

Patients’ preferences

- Providing care in a respectful atmosphere with dignity and respect

1. Healthcare professionals treat patients with dignity and respect.

- Focus on quality of life issues / whole-person care

2. Healthcare is focused on improving patients’ quality of life.

3. Healthcare professionals take patients’ preferences into account.

- Informed and shared decision making / patient participation and involvement

4. Healthcare professionals involve patients in decisions about their care.

- Personal goals and outcomes

5. Patients are supported in setting and achieving their own treatment goals.

Physical comfort

- Pain management

6. Healthcare professionals pay attention to pain management.

- Assistance with daily living needs

7. Healthcare professionals take patients’ preferences for support and daily living needs into account.

- Hospital surroundings and environment

8. Patient areas in hospital are clean and comfortable.

9. Patients have privacy in the hospital.

Coordination of care

- Coordination and integration of care

10. Healthcare professionals are well informed; patients need to tell their story only once.

11. Patient care is well coordinated among professionals.

- Spokesperson for navigation through the system

12. Patients know who is coordinating their care.

13. Patients have a primary contact who knows everything about their condition and treatment.

- Teamwork

14. Healthcare professionals work as a team in care delivery to patients.

Emotional support

- Anxiety about consequences of the changed situation

15. Healthcare professionals pay attention to patients’ anxiety about their situations.

- Creating support systems

16. Healthcare professionals involve relatives in emotional support of the patient.

- Anxiety about the impact of one’s illness on one’s family and loved ones

17. Healthcare professionals pay attention to patients’ anxiety about the impact of their illness on their loved ones.

Access to care

- Access to location / specialist

18. The hospital is accessible for all patients.

- Availability of transportation

19. Clear directions are provided to and inside the hospital.

- Clear instructions provided on how and when to get referral

- Ease of scheduling appointments

20. Appointment scheduling is easy.

- Waiting time

21. Waiting times for appointments are acceptable.

- Language barrier

22. Language is not a barrier to access to care.

- Cultural differences

Continuity and transition

- Understandable, detailed information regarding all aspects of care

23. When a patient is transferred to another ward, relevant patient information is also transferred.

- Coordination and planning of ongoing treatment

24. Patients who are transferred are well informed about where they are going, what care they will receive, and who their contact person will be.

- Provide information regarding access to support after hospital discharge

25. Patients receive skilled advice about care and support at home after hospital discharge.

Information and education

- Information on all aspects of care (e.g., clinical status, progress, prognosis, care processes)

26. Patients are well informed about all aspects of their care.

- Information on processes of care

27. Patients can access their care records.

- Information and education to facilitate autonomy and self-care

28. Patients are in charge of their own care.

29. Healthcare professionals support patients to be in charge of their care.

- Open communication between patient and caregiver

30. Open communication between patients and healthcare professionals occurs.

- Skills and knowledge of caregiver

31. Healthcare professionals have good communication skills.

Family and friends

- Accommodations

32. Accommodations for relatives are provided in or near the hospital.

- Respect for role in decision making

33. Healthcare professionals involve relatives in decisions about the patient’s care.

- Support for family as caregivers

34. Healthcare professionals pay attention to loved ones in their role as the patient’s caregivers.

- Recognition of the needs of family and friends

35. Healthcare professionals pay attention to the needs of the patient’s family and friends.