A vigorous statewide effort to increase the number of hospitals participating in round two of the Patients' Evaluation of Performance in California (PEP-C) project was kicked off this week by the California Institute for Health Systems Performance (CIHSP) and the California HealthCare Foundation's (CHCF) Quality Initiative.
The PEP-C team will meet with hospitals individually and regionally to answer questions and facilitate participation in the project. Also, the project will enlist the support of consumer groups, legislators, local officials, and media in influencing the hospitals in their communities. Marsha Nelson, vice president of the CIHSP, notes, "We've made it easy and affordable for hospitals to participate in PEP-C. The survey vendor handles the administration of the survey itself so there is minimal hospital administrative effort required, and CHCF is setting aside a pool of money for hospitals who request financial assistance. However, the turn-around time for decision-making is tight." Hospitals must sign up by the end of May in order to participate in the second round release, the results of which will be published in the summer of 2003. A list of participating hospitals and endorsers will be maintained on the CIHSP Web site (see link below).
The PEP-C project, with 113 general acute care hospitals voluntarily participating in round one, explores critical aspects of hospital care in seven key categories or "dimensions of care," including: respect for patient preferences; coordination of care; information and education; physical comfort; emotional support; involvement of family and friends; and transition to home. Responses are grouped by maternity, medical, and surgical patients.
"Consumer and media reaction to the first PEP-C survey was overwhelmingly positive," said Ann Monroe, director of CHCF's Quality Initiative. "Hospitals that participated were widely praised for their courage in stepping forward and for caring enough about their patients to focus on examining and improving the dimensions of care that they are in the best position to judge. Research published after round one has established a strong link between patient experience and clinical outcomes, so we are very optimistic that many more hospitals will join us in this important and meaningful undertaking."
CIHSP Board Chair and CEO of Lodi Memorial Hospital, Joseph Harrington notes, "Public reporting projects in other states consistently show that nothing improves hospital performance faster than visibility. We are working hard to keep this project voluntary because we believe hospitals in this state want to step forward and be seen as responsive and accountable to consumers. But we can only keep making that case if we get a lot closer to one hundred percent participation on this round."
The results of the first PEP-C survey were published in August 2001 and reflected the responses of 21,151 patients. Patients generally rated their hospitals highly, but there were some areas of concern, particularly in the category of "transition to home." Many round one hospitals have already implemented quality improvement projects targeted at their areas of deficiency. Nelson points out that "PEP-C benefits both the patients and the hospitals. It helps educate consumers about reasonable and important expectations they should have if they need hospitalization or are supporting a loved one. At the same time it guides hospitals to focus on the really important aspects of the patient's experience -- not aesthetics, but rather core issues such as pain management, clarity of communication about medication, and adequate preparation for the return home."
The survey release garnered broad media coverage statewide. A total of 54 newspapers, magazines, and news services produced coverage of the survey, including major Spanish-language dailies. Television and radio coverage totaled nearly 3.9 million viewers and listeners statewide. More than 100,000 PEP-C reports have been distributed in online and print versions.
Richard Pettingill, president and CEO of Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Health Plans California Division, said, "Kaiser Permanente California is pleased to participate in the PEP-C project. The survey results give us clear direction on what members want from us. Our participation reflects our commitment to better understand members' needs and preferences."
Van R. Johnson, president and CEO of Sutter Health, said, "We are proud to participate in PEP-C and pleased that our hospitals performed so well overall. We believe strongly in measuring and reporting patient experience and we use a variety of tools to help us understand what our patients need and how we can improve their experience. PEP-C is an important tool to enable community hospitals to address their needs for accountability to the community."
About the PEP-C Project
The Patients' Evaluation of Performance in California project is a result of a partnership among the California Institute for Health Systems Performance, the California HealthCare Foundation, and participating hospitals. The first publicly reported PEP-C survey was in August 2001 and reflected the experience of 21,151 patients with 113 hospitals, representing 30% of eligible hospitals and 42% of licensed beds in California. Round two of PEP-C will use the NRC/Picker Survey, allowing for comparability with previous PEP-C results. NRC acquired the Picker family of surveys last year and participated in the preparation of survey results and reporting for the first PEP-C survey. The California HealthCare Foundation will set aside a pool of money for hospitals that need financial assistance in conducting the survey.
For more information about the California Institute for Health Systems Performance or the National Research Corporation/Picker, use the links below.