Web Site Allows Patients to Rate Hospitals
The HospitalCompare website, run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), was broadened to include patient feedback. An article was published in the Houston Chronicle describing outcomes for facilities in that area.
HospitalCompare was was initially launched by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2005. The site was initially created to compare how different hospitals perform in the treatment of a wide array of conditions. The site has been expanded to include patients’ responses to dealings with hospital staff members.
CMS unveiled this program to increase the amount of information available to patients to assess facilities, as part of the movement to increase the level of transparency. An expected benefit is decreased treatment costs.
Participation in the surveys is currently voluntary. Some anticipate that this will change in the future and become mandatory. About half the hospitals across the U.S. currently submit patient satisfaction data.
Data is collected by a third party research firm that surveys patients within a few days after they are discharged. Questions posed to patients include how quickly healthcare providers responded to calls and whether or not medications and treatments were described adequately.
In the Houston area, the Methodist Hospital received the highest ratings for overall patient satisfaction. The facility is a part of the Texas Medical Center. Of the patients surveyed, 80 percent indicated they would recommend the facility.
The two facilities in the area to receive the lowest ranking were East Houston Medical Center and Bayshore Medical Center. Both are owned by HCA, which is a nonprofit healthcare firm. Less than half of the patients surveyed from both hospitals indicated that they would recommend it to someone else.
May 9, 2008 Related topics: Trends, Quality, Safety, Errors