Patient & Public Surveyor Track
A distinct certification pathway for individuals with lived experience of healthcare — combining surveyor skills with a standing role as a certified Patient Council Coordinator in partner hospitals.
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The Four ASF Surveyor Tracks
ASF recognises four complementary surveyor roles. Each has its own certification pathway. Together they form the full ASF surveyor community.
Patient & Public Surveyor
Brings patient and community perspective. Doubles as certified Patient Council Coordinator.
Monitor
Entry-level on-site observer. Supports coordinators during accreditation visits.
Coordinator
Leads accreditation visits, manages facility relationships, mentors monitors.
Surveyor
Full clinical surveyor. Must also hold PSV-01, CRD-01 and MON-01 certificates.
Why Patient & Public Surveyors Matter
Healthcare accreditation has traditionally been conducted by clinical professionals assessing systems and processes against technical standards. While rigorous, this approach can underweight the lived experience of the people most directly affected by care quality: patients, families, and communities. ASF addresses this gap by embedding patient and public voices directly in the accreditation process through a formally credentialled surveyor role.
The PSV-01 surveyor is not simply an observer or a lay-member add-on. They are a trained, certified professional who assesses specific standards domains — patient rights, information and consent, dignity and communication, complaint management, and patient safety culture — and whose assessment carries equal weight to that of clinical surveyors within the ASF accreditation model.
ASF has developed the institutional infrastructure to support this role in Georgia through the პაციენტთა საბჭოების პროგრამა (Patient Councils Programme) hosted on pacienti.ge, operated by the Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG) in partnership with ASF. This programme connects certified PSV-01 holders with partner hospitals, formalises their standing role, and provides the operational framework for their Patient Council Coordinator duties.
The Dual Role: Surveyor and Patient Council Coordinator
A certified PSV-01 holder carries two interlocking professional identities. The first is their role as an ASF Patient & Public Surveyor, participating in formal accreditation visits. The second — and their primary day-to-day function — is that of a certified Patient Council Coordinator embedded in a partner hospital under a formal agreement with ASF and PHIG.
This dual structure ensures that the PSV-01 role delivers sustained, independent patient advocacy throughout the year — not only during periodic accreditation surveys.
🏥 As Patient Council Coordinator
- Organise and chair Patient Council meetings at the partner hospital, bringing together patient representatives and hospital management on a regular cycle
- Plan and deliver patient education sessions — in-person and online — on rights, treatment options, safety, and health literacy
- Lead patient mobilisation campaigns and community outreach activities
- Design, administer and analyse patient satisfaction surveys (electronic and paper-based) and produce formal reports on findings
- Act as an independent intermediary and ombudsman between patients and the hospital — takes no sides, works independently
- Represent the patient voice in hospital governance meetings and quality-improvement committees
🔍 As Patient & Public Surveyor
- Participate in ASF accreditation visits as a full surveyor team member, assessing patient-facing standards domains
- Conduct structured patient interviews and focus groups during the survey visit
- Review patient complaint records, satisfaction data, consent documentation, and rights-notification materials
- Contribute findings to the survey team’s deliberations and the final accreditation report
- Provide feedback to hospitals on patient experience gaps and recommend corrective actions
PSV-01 Training Programme
The PSV-01 certification programme comprises five structured e-learning modules hosted on GMJ Academy, followed by a supervised practical placement. Each module has a designated code and title. All modules are currently in development at GMJ Academy; this page reflects the full approved curriculum.
Patient Rights and the Legal Framework
- International patient rights frameworks (Council of Europe, WHO, ECHR)
- Georgian legal framework for patient rights and health system obligations
- Rights notification: what hospitals must tell patients, in what language, and when
- Consent and informed decision-making: legal standards and common failures
- Non-discrimination, privacy, and dignity standards in clinical settings
- How PSV-01 surveyors assess rights compliance during accreditation visits
Patient Council Coordination: Structures and Governance
- What a Patient Council is, how it is constituted, and what its mandate covers
- The PHIG–ASF Patient Councils Programme model in Georgia (pacienti.ge)
- Establishing a Council at a new partner hospital: legal setup, member recruitment, terms of reference
- Running Council meetings: agenda management, facilitation, recording decisions, follow-up
- Reporting lines: how the Council reports to hospital governance and to the PHIG oversight committee
- Independence rules: what a Coordinator may and may not do to protect their neutral status
Patient Education and Mobilisation
- Planning and delivering patient education sessions: in-person workshops and online formats
- Health literacy principles: adapting messages for low-literacy and non-Georgian-speaking patients
- Community mobilisation: reaching patients outside the hospital through outreach activities
- Partnering with NGOs, local government, and media for patient-voice campaigns
- Documenting and reporting education activities to hospital management and PHIG
Patient Satisfaction Survey Management and Reporting
- Designing patient satisfaction questionnaires: validated instruments, item wording, cultural adaptation
- Survey administration: electronic platforms, paper-based methods, and hybrid approaches in Georgian hospitals
- Sampling, response rates, and avoiding bias in patient feedback collection
- Analysing results: descriptive statistics, trend analysis, departmental comparison
- Writing the patient satisfaction report: format, findings, recommendations, and presentation to hospital leadership
- Linking satisfaction data to ASF accreditation standards evidence
The Surveyor Role: Assessment Methods, Independence, and Accreditation Contribution
- Overview of the ASF accreditation visit process: roles, timeline, and documentation
- Domains assessed by the PSV-01 surveyor: patient rights, complaint management, communication, safety culture, patient engagement
- Structured interview techniques for patients and families: consent, phrasing, documentation
- Reviewing hospital documentation as a patient-experience assessor: what to look for and how to score
- Ombudsman skills: conflict de-escalation, neutrality maintenance, and referral to formal grievance mechanisms
- Writing the PSV-01 surveyor’s section of the accreditation report
- Ethics of the independent intermediary role: limits, boundaries, and mandatory reporting
Supervised Placement: Hospital Practice
- Shadow an accredited PSV-01 holder or ASF Coordinator for one full accreditation visit day
- Attend and co-facilitate one Patient Council meeting at the host hospital
- Observe at least one patient satisfaction data collection exercise
- Complete a structured reflection journal across both placement days
- Submit a placement report to the ASF Training Office — assessed by the PSV-01 Training Committee
Standards Domains Assessed by PSV-01 Surveyors
| Domain | Key Standards Areas | Assessment Method |
|---|---|---|
| Patient Rights & Dignity | Rights notification, language support, non-discrimination, privacy | Documentation review, patient interviews |
| Information, Consent & Communication | Informed consent processes, plain-language information, translation | Consent record audit, staff and patient interviews |
| Complaint & Grievance Management | Complaint intake, investigation, resolution timelines, learning | Case file review, process walkthrough |
| Patient Safety Culture | Incident reporting culture, patient involvement in safety, open disclosure | Staff and patient focus groups |
| Patient & Family Engagement | Council structures, education programmes, satisfaction measurement | Council records, survey data, observation |
Eligibility
✅ Required
- Lived experience of healthcare as a patient, family carer, or community advocate — OR a background in patient rights, social work, NGO advocacy, or public engagement
- Genuine commitment to independent, unbiased advocacy
- Willingness to undertake the supervised placement (PSV-M06) and produce a placement report
- Completion of all five e-learning modules (PSV-M01–M05)
❌ Not Required
- Medical, nursing, or any clinical qualification
- Prior accreditation or quality management experience
- Employment in a healthcare setting
- Prior completion of MON-01 or CRD-01 (PSV-01 may be taken as a standalone track)
PSV-01 and the Full Surveyor Pathway
- Candidates who complete PSV-01 + MON-01 + CRD-01 + SRV-01–03 become fully certified ASF Surveyors — the highest tier in the ASF surveyor community
- PSV-01 is a core component of the SRV pathway, not an optional add-on
- Full Surveyors who hold PSV-01 are qualified to lead both clinical and patient-experience components of an accreditation visit
- ASF strongly encourages all current MON-01 and CRD-01 holders to complete PSV-01 as part of their continuing professional development
PSV-01 Credential and Maintenance
What PSV-01 Certification Enables
- Appointment as an ASF Patient & Public Surveyor on accreditation visits
- Appointment as a certified Patient Council Coordinator at PHIG–ASF partner hospitals
- Listing on the ASF Active Surveyor Register under the PSV-01 track
- Participation in the ASF Annual Surveyor Forum and PSV-specific peer-learning events
Annual Maintenance
- Minimum 1 accreditation visit participation per year as a PSV-01 surveyor
- Minimum 8 CPD hours per year in patient rights, engagement, or quality improvement
- Submission of an annual Patient Council Activity Report (for Coordinator role holders)
- Completion of the annual ASF Standards Update briefing
The Patient Councils Programme in Georgia
ASF — through its national programme partner, the Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG) — has established a formal Patient Councils Programme in Georgia. This programme recruits, trains, and deploys certified PSV-01 holders as Patient Council Coordinators at accredited and accreditation-candidate hospitals across the country. All programme information, coordinator profiles, partner hospital listings, and application materials are published at pacienti.ge.
Apply for PSV-01 Training
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. E-learning modules are available year-round at academy.gmj.ge (modules currently in development). To apply for the supervised placement or to enquire about Patient Council Coordinator appointments at partner hospitals, contact the ASF Training Office at training@france-asf.fr or visit pacienti.ge for the Georgia national programme.