More Patients at the Highest Performing Hospitals Report Immediate Staff Responsiveness, Quiet Rooms, and Well-Controlled Pain
The 2009/2010 Outstanding Patient Experience AwardTM recipients are the 340 hospitals that rank in the top 10% of all hospitals in patient experience. The ratings are based on patient satisfaction survey results that hospitals provided as part of a federal initiative to provide consumers with more information about hospital performance.
HealthGrades identifies these top performers in patient satisfaction to help patients choose the best hospital for themselves and their loved ones. In addition to the clinical quality performance of a hospital, surveys show that patients want to know about hospitals' patient-experience track records.
The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, or HCAHPS, includes 27 questions related to physician and nurse communication, hospital staff responsiveness, hospital cleanliness and noise levels, medication information, and post-discharge care instructions. It is a national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients' perspectives of hospital care. HCAHPS is an initiative of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The data covered in this study is from July 2007 to June 2008.
Large Gaps Found
The HCAHPS data highlight large gaps between the highest performing hospitals (Outstanding Patient Experience AwardTM recipients are the top 15% of eligible hospitals) and the lowest performing hospitals (bottom 15% of eligible hospitals). Some of the findings from these patient surveys include the following:
- 57% more patients at the highest performing hospitals gave their hospital a 9 or 10 on a 10 point scale for overall patient satisfaction.
- 57% more patients at the highest performing hospitals would definitely recommend the hospital to their family and friends.
- 44% more patients at the highest performing hospitals reported receiving help as soon as they asked for it.
- 34% more patients at the highest performing hospitals reported that it was always quiet at night.
- 32% more patients at the highest performing hospitals reported that staff always explained medications prior to giving them.
- 28% more patients at the highest performing hospitals reported that their room and bathroom were always clean.
- 26% more patients at the highest performing hospitals reported that their pain was always well controlled.
Other Findings
The HCAHPS data also reflect the areas in which the nation's patients, on average, are the most and least satisfied:
- Patients were most satisfied with how well their physician communicated with them and with the information given to them about what to do during their recovery at home: 80% gave the highest rating.
- Patients were least satisfied with how often the staff explained medications before giving them to the patient: 25% of respondents at all eligible hospitals said that staff sometimes or never explained medications.