DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals, today released a new report entitled, “Patient Experience 2014: Identifying What Matters Most” that explores the importance of patient experience in the overall quality of care. The report names the 447 hospitals that have achieved the 2014 Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™, distinguished as the top 15% of hospitals nationally, based on how their own patients responded to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey for visits occurring between April 2012 – March 2013.
According to the Beryl Institute, patient experience is defined as the sum of all interactions, shaped by an organization’s culture, that influence patient perceptions across the continuum of care. Healthgrades analysis covering the most recent reporting period found that not all attributes weigh equally when it comes to the ultimate test of an experience—a patient recommending a service or product to friends and loved ones, and their overall satisfaction rating.
When compared to hospitals performing in the bottom 15% for patient experience, Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ recipients, on average, are attributed with the following:
- 38% more patients gave the hospital an overall rating of 9 or 10 (10 being the highest possible)
- 42% more patients reported that they would definitely recommend the hospital to their family or friends
“Compared to those at other U.S. hospitals, the recipients of the Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award have demonstrated that they excel in ways their patients value most,” said Evan Marks, EVP, Strategy and Informatics, Healthgrades. “Our analysis shows that the personal impact of caregiving – like responsiveness to needs, communication and pain control – is what is most important to patients.”
According to the Healthgrades’ analysis, patients are more likely to recommend an organization to friends and family if they had positive experiences in a) nurse communication, b) pain control, c) receiving discharge instructions, d) receiving help quickly and e) having staff explain medications. The report also outlines case study summaries, originally documented and published by the Beryl Institute and other resources, on how specific hospital teams have improved in three of the domains Healthgrades identified as most likely to influence whether patients recommend a hospital as measured by HCAHPS: Pain Control, Nurse Communication, and Receiving Help Quickly. It also provides links and resources from organizations committed to helping hospitals improve their patients’ experience.
To be evaluated for patient experience and to be eligible for the Healthgrades award, hospitals had to meet certain criteria, such as the number of beds, number of survey responses, and clinical-quality thresholds. Information on the award recipients and access to the complete rating methodology is available at www.healthgrades.com/quality.
About Healthgrades
Healthgrades, headquartered in Denver,
Colorado, is the leading online resource for comprehensive information
about physicians and hospitals. More than 250 million visitors annually
use the Healthgrades websites to search, compare and connect with
physicians and hospitals that best meet their treatment needs. Consumers
are empowered through use of the Healthgrades proprietary information
about clinical outcomes, satisfaction, safety, and health conditions to
make more informed healthcare decisions and take action. For more
information about the Healthgrades report and to make informed decisions
about hospitals and physicians in your area, visit www.healthgrades.com
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