User Satisfaction / Customer Satisfaction
The Bietti Foundation is deeply committed to the well-being of its patients. For this reason, receiving feedback from those who choose our services and monitoring user satisfaction are essential to ensuring the quality of care we provide.
The Public Relations Office (URP), which reports to the Health Directorate, aims to facilitate communication between the IRCCS and citizens, improve access to services, promote continuous quality improvement, and ensure protection and participation.
It safeguards users’ rights by receiving and processing reports and complaints, carrying out the necessary investigations, collecting relevant data, and providing a response within the timeframe established by law.
Based on user feedback, the URP also formulates proposals to improve the services offered to the public. Reports are carefully managed, and following an internal review, citizens who have submitted a request receive a clear and reasoned response, in full compliance with current regulations, transparency, and privacy laws.
All reports received are subject to analysis, classification, and documentation for review by the relevant management offices, as well as for possible organizational adjustments.
User feedback is regarded as a valuable and essential tool for fostering a more human-centered approach to care and for the continuous improvement of service quality.
The URP also records written expressions of gratitude and commendations, which are considered an important acknowledgment of the perceived quality of the services provided. Commendations, too, are included in the office’s reporting activities.
The distribution and collection of anonymous user satisfaction questionnaires, together with positive and negative feedback, represent the primary tools for identifying targeted improvement actions. These activities confirm the ongoing commitment of the Management and all staff of the IRCCS Fondazione G.B. Bietti Onlus to enhancing perceived quality and humanizing patient care.
The data collected by the URP derive from satisfaction questionnaires specifically designed for both outpatient and inpatient settings, as well as from direct or email feedback (urp@fondazionebietti.it).
In 2024, the URP received 2 commendations and 3 complaints. Although the satisfaction questionnaires represent only a small proportion (0.21%) of the total 60,000 outpatient visits and approximately 4,000 surgical procedures, the analysis revealed higher satisfaction among inpatients (72.34% rating “good”) compared to outpatients (68.6%).
Outpatient services are affected by longer waiting times between the initial consultation and completion of care, which depend on both the number and complexity of procedures performed during each visit, as well as on the nature of the conditions treated at our Center.
Efforts will therefore focus on improving communication with patients, reviewing and optimizing process times where possible, and enhancing monitoring activities by involving unit directors and the nursing coordinator.
Partnership with Stakeholders: Patients and Associations
A key priority in the activities of the IRCCS is raising awareness and engaging patients throughout the pathways of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.
To this end, several initiatives have been undertaken, including:
Awareness campaigns on the importance of visual acuity checks, also through free mobile apps made available by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Organization of an event on Rare Disease Day (28 February 2023) entitled “Supporting Patients Affected by Genetic and Rare Eye Diseases”, featuring a geneticist (Dr. Cordeddu, from the Italian National Institute of Health – ISS), the testimony of one of our patients, and the participation of Dr. Renata Sarno, President of the patient association for individuals affected by blue cone monochromatism.
Membership in the Italian Association of Patients with Ocular Diseases (APMO) by our ophthalmologists and participation in the First National Conference of Patients with Ocular Diseases, promoted by APMO in collaboration with SISO – the Italian Society of Ophthalmological Sciences, held on 9–10 October 2025.
The event, titled “Looking Ahead”, was organized to coincide with World Sight Day and marked the culmination of a national prevention and awareness campaign aimed at presenting the Eye Health Charter — a roadmap for ophthalmology in Italy addressed to institutions, healthcare professionals, and citizens.
The Charter is the result of a collaborative effort involving clinicians, institutions, scientific societies, and patient associations, and outlines priorities and proposals for more effective prevention, equitable access to care, and an innovative, sustainable management of ocular diseases in our country.
Focus on Social Commitment
Vision loss can affect people of all ages. Globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. At least 1 billion of these cases could have been prevented or more easily managed with eyeglasses or cataract surgery. Moreover, visual impairment represents a significant global financial burden, with an estimated US$ 411 billion in productivity loss in the workplace due to vision problems.
Among the vulnerabilities that have emerged since the pandemic, healthcare poverty has undoubtedly become one of the most pressing issues — further worsened by the economic consequences of ongoing conflicts. The rising cost of living and increasing financial hardship faced by many families have led to a growing tendency to postpone medical visits or the purchase of eyeglasses.
In line with its statutory mission and the WHO’s global initiative “Vision for Everyone” — which aims to make eye care accessible worldwide by 2030 — the IRCCS Fondazione Bietti has promoted several initiatives.
In 2022, the Foundation took part in Race for the Cure at the Circus Maximus in Rome, setting up two examination stations, performing over 250 free vision screenings, and distributing educational materials on the importance of eye health and hand hygiene, together with small bottles of hand sanitizer.
In 2023, the Foundation joined the national initiative “Giornate della Vista” (Eye Health Days), setting up temporary eye clinics that provided high-quality ophthalmic care to more than 5,800 disadvantaged individuals across Italy.
One of the key outcomes of this initiative was the establishment of a permanent outpatient ophthalmology spoke, managed by the Foundation at the S. Gallicano Hospital in Rome in collaboration with the Community of Sant’Egidio. This service offers free eye examinations to socially vulnerable groups, ensuring follow-up diagnostic and specialist care at the Foundation’s Ophthalmology Center at the British Hospital. The initiative’s partner, OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, provided eyeglasses free of charge.
Also in 2023, the Foundation launched the project “Ci vediamo a Corviale” (“See You in Corviale”), in collaboration with IAPB Italia Onlus, focusing on particularly disadvantaged urban areas with the goal of declaring them “free from visual problems.”
The dedication of the Foundation’s ophthalmologists was recognized during the 2023 Solidarity Award Ceremony held at the Italian Chamber of Deputies, as part of the “Giornate della Vista” initiative.
In 2024, the IRCCS Fondazione Bietti Onlus participated in 14 days of free eye examinations for vulnerable individuals at the Casa dell’Amicizia in Ostia, made available by the Community of Sant’Egidio, from 27 November to 10 December 2024.
During 2024, over 700 free eye examinations were carried out at the Sant’Egidio spoke, and, when necessary, second-level diagnostic or surgical interventions were performed or scheduled.
The Foundation received the Social Commitment Award for Eye Health at the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Italy annual meeting, “Seeing Better, Living Better, for Everyone”, held in Rome in October 2024.
This ongoing commitment also led to the Foundation’s participation in the opening of a new permanent social ophthalmology center at the Rome Tuscolano headquarters of the Community of Sant’Egidio, promoted by the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation. Here, ophthalmologists from the IRCCS Fondazione Bietti will offer free eye examinations to those unable to afford them, ensuring access to essential healthcare services.
Sponsored by the Dicastery for Evangelization – Jubilee 2025, the Lazio Region, and the Municipality of Rome – Department of Social Policies and Health, the center will primarily welcome pilgrims arriving in the capital for the Holy Year, as well as vulnerable individuals referred by local associations.
Screenings will be conducted two afternoons per week, and patients requiring further care will be referred to the British Hospital, where Fondazione Bietti staff will provide advanced diagnostics and treatment.
The project aims to deliver over 1,500 free eye examinations and distribute around 1,300 pairs of eyeglasses, provided by EssilorLuxottica, to help ensure better vision — and, consequently, a better life — for those most in need.
In 2025, the IRCCS Fondazione G.B. Bietti, in collaboration with CARITAS BDOM Kenge, launched the “Maurizio Terrana Ophthalmology Clinic and Training Center”, a project for the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of eye diseases and refractive errors, as well as research and training, in the Kwango Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The clinic is dedicated to Dr. Maurizio Terrana, an ophthalmologist and student of Professor Stirpe, who passed away from COVID-19.
The project’s main objectives are:
To organize and equip the “Dr. Maurizio Terrana” Ophthalmology Service with BDOM Kenge at the Catholic Provincial Reference Hospital in Kenge.
To establish a mobile ophthalmic clinic, carrying out 3-day screening missions in local schools and villages.
To train medical and paramedical staff within the Diocese of Kenge in the early diagnosis and treatment of children with visual impairments or refractive errors.
To raise awareness among the population of Kwango about eye disease prevention and early diagnosis.
To conduct action research on onchocerciasis (river blindness).
Contacts
Public Relations Office (URP) – Health Directorate
Head: Sabrina Tranquilli
Phone: +39 06 84009400-1
Email: urp@fondazionebietti.it
