Publication: IMPLEMENTING DIGITAL LOCAL COMPLAINTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AT MIRI GENERAL HOSPITAL – A PROCESS IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
Date
2026
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Publisher
IMU University
Abstract
Miri General Hospital, a tertiary hospital in Sarawak, celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025. The hospital has grown rapidly with the addition of a new building this year, which is equipped with more beds and offers expanded sub‑specialty services that inevitably increase the touchpoints with potential patients as evident by an increasing number of hospital admissions and outpatient consultations. However, the asset procurement and human resource expansion at all levels have lagged behind due to unavoidable resource restrictions managed mainly at the ministry level. Locally on the ground, the mismatch between the service demands and resource capacity has contributed to increasing workloads, medical errors and patient dissatisfaction. Complaints to the Ministry of Health’s central complaints system (Sistem Pengurusan Aduan Awam Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia or SisPAA KKM) for Miri General Hospital increased from 23 to 81 cases in 2024 compared to the year before, spread across multiple departments, and medicolegal grievances with potential litigation are also on the rise (Hospital Miri Grievances Unit, 2025). The SisPAA process is paper‑heavy, involves multiple bureaucratic layers and can take several months to resolve complex complaints, delaying feedback to patients and prolonging escalation risk exposure.
This process improvement project proposes a lean, department‑specific digital feedback system that will implemented locally at the hospital level—the Electronic Suggestion and Feedback Box (e‑Peti cadangan & Maklum Balas, e‑PM for short)—as a complementary or replacement pathway. The system uses the existing MyGovUC Google Workspace (Google Forms, Sheets, Sites, Apps Script) to allow patients or carers to submit feedback via QR code at service points; alerts are sent automatically to the department’s Complaints Management Officers (CMO) and head of department, and the investigation and response are managed within Google Sheets. This report analyses the current process using process mapping and root cause analysis tools, applies Lean and PDCA quality frameworks, and develops an implementation plan to realize the proposed solution. It attempts to demonstrate that a lean, data‑driven approach can reduce processing time, improve transparency and enhance patient satisfaction (Charron et al., 2014). The project also outlines key performance indicators, risk management strategies and lessons learnt for future quality improvement initiatives.
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Keywords
Hospital Administration, Patient Satisfaction, Quality Improvement, Information Systems, Electronic Health Records, Patient Safety, Quality Indicators, Health Care