Hospital Cluster Pilot Encourages Staff Self-Introductions to Build Patient Trust
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
The Kowloon West Hospital Cluster has been running a "Hello, I am..." pilot programme since 2024, encouraging healthcare workers to proactively introduce themselves to patients. The initiative, which originated from a UK geriatrician's 2013 campaign, has shown measurable improvements in patient satisfaction and trust. Survey results from approximately 11,000 patients and caregivers indicate that the rate of healthcare workers introducing themselves rose significantly from 49% to 68%, while satisfaction scores for doctors and nurses reached 8.55 and 9.04 out of 10 respectively.
Key Points
- The programme began as a pilot at Princess Margaret Hospital and North Lantau Hospital in 2024, then expanded to Caritas Medical Centre, Yan Chai Hospital, and Kwai Chung Hospital in 2025
- Dr Chan Nai-yin (陳藝賢), Associate Hospital Chief Executive at Princess Margaret Hospital, coordinates the initiative, noting that even a brief self-introduction can build trust and improve treatment adherence
- More than 560 staff members from 44 departments participated in a week-long "Self-Introduction Challenge," earning stickers from satisfied patients
- Four promotional videos garnered approximately 20,000 cumulative views, and over 800 frontline staff took part in booth activities at various hospitals
- Fu Hoi-lam (傅凱琳), a registered nurse at Caritas Medical Centre, shared how self-introduction helped a patient with dementia feel calmer and more willing to discuss her concerns
Why It Matters
With Hong Kong's public specialist outpatient clinics handling 8.69 million patient visits and allied health services serving 3.61 million visits annually, improving communication efficiency is crucial. This simple practice of staff self-introduction has demonstrably enhanced patient cooperation and treatment outcomes, suggesting it could become standard practice across the Hospital Authority's network .
With Hong Kong's public specialist outpatient clinics handling 8.69 million patient visits and allied health services serving 3.61 million visits annually, improving communication efficiency is crucial. This simple practice of staff self-introduction has demonstrably enhanced patient cooperation and treatment outcomes, suggesting it could become standard practice across the Hospital Authority's network .