The WSA are held every two years in association with the United Nations. The WSA Grand Jury 07 meets in Croatia from today, August 31st until September 7th. A total of 36 experts from all parts of the world will come together to judge the best contents and most innovative applications from around the world, including ‘Ratemyhospital.ie’.
All nominated projects from each country will be evaluated in a three-round judging process, and subsequently, the World's Best e-Contents and Applications (5 products in each of the 8 WSA categories) will be selected.
This unique process will, say the organisers, allow insight in the trends and state of development of e-contents and creativity in the world.
‘Ratemyhospital.ie’ was nominated by Martin Casey, Irish Representative and European spokesperson for the World Summit Awards (WSA) to represent Ireland in the e-health section of this global competition.
“We are delighted and honoured to have been selected to go forward and represent Ireland in this high profile UN and UNESCO-backed competition”, said publisher, John Gibbons. ‘Rate My Hospital’ has in its first year of operation achieved widespread national visibility and credibility, and is now the prime source for objective public assessment of the state of our public hospitals.
We are also pleased that the arrival of ‘Rate My Hospital’ has spurred on the health authorities into finally beginning to recognise the primacy of the patient in the hospital system. HSE initiatives such as training of complaints officers in hospitals, represent a positive and welcome response to ‘Rate My Hospital’”, added Mr Gibbons.
The World Summit Award puts its emphasis on a core part of the Information Society that it says is often overlooked: high-quality e-contents and applications. By selecting, presenting and promoting the best products from all over the world in that field, it makes a contribution to bridging the Digital Divide and narrowing the Content Gap.
To date, almost 8,500 patients and their relatives have completed detailed 23-part online questionnaires on their experience with the hospital system. The rolling survey continues to monitor progress and performance in Ireland’s 50 public hospitals and is giving a whole new ‘worm’s-eye’ view on how our hospitals function – and sometimes don’t function – as witnessed first hand by thousands of members of the public.
To have your say on a hospital you or a relative have attended, click here: www.ratemyhospital.ie
Quelle/Source: Irish Health, 31.08.2007
