With the launch today of CalHospitals.org, Californians can view what patients think of the care they received at hospitals all over the state. Nearly 35,000 people who had spent at least one night in a participating hospital responded to this second statewide patient experience survey, sponsored by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) and the California Institute for Health Systems Performance (CIHSP). Using the Web site, consumers are able to compare hospital results by city, county, or zip code.
Statewide, about 25% of hospitals received an above average rating for their overall performance. Eighteen percent were rated below average and 57% were rated average.
California hospitals overall did well in three of seven areas surveyed: providing physical comfort, including pain medication; coordination of care while in the hospital; and respect for personal preferences. Patients overall reported less favorable experiences in two areas: emotional support for their fears and anxieties while in the hospital and transition to home, or what to expect when they leave the hospital, such as possible side effects and danger signs.
The patient experience survey is part of a growing movement to publicly report performance of health care organizations. The number of California hospitals volunteering to participate in the study increased by 61 percent over the first survey in 2001. The 181 hospitals that took part represent 54 percent of the state’s licensed beds. The total includes three children’s hospitals.
"Hospitals that volunteered to join the study are leaders in publicly reporting performance," according to Mark D. Smith, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of the California HealthCare Foundation. "They are willing to take a critical look at themselves and are ahead of the rest of the country in using consumer feedback to measure and improve the quality of hospital care."
Over the next two years, the federal government is planning to launch a patient experience survey nationally.
The California survey, called the Patients’ Evaluation of Performance in California (PEP-C), is the largest scientifically valid survey of patient experience ever published about individual hospitals. Hospitals received a one- to three-star rating based on patients’ evaluations. The survey asked patients to assess their experience in seven categories: respect for patient preferences, coordination of care, information and education, physical comfort, emotional support, involvement of family and friends, and transition to home.
"One star is better than no stars," said Lisa Payne Simon, acting director of CHCF’s Quality Initiative. "Hospitals involved in the survey are ahead of the game. They can use this information to jump-start quality improvements."
"Recent research has established a strong link between patient experience and clinical outcomes," according to Marsha Nelson, vice president of CIHSP. "However, it should not be considered a guide to ‘good’ or ‘bad’ hospitals," she said.
Nelson pointed out that the patient experience survey does not evaluate a hospital’s clinical outcomes or the technical proficiency of its staff: "Consumers should use this information along with other indicators of quality before making a choice about where to get hospital care."
Surveys were conducted by mail by National Research Corporation/Picker, a recognized expert in exploring patient experiences. For each participating hospital, 300 to 600 medical, surgical, and maternity patients who spent at least one night in an acute-care hospital between July 1 and October 31, 2002, were randomly selected. (Surveys were also mailed to the parents of 900 pediatric patients from three participating children’s hospitals.) Individual hospital results were adjusted for patient health status, age, gender, and education.
Hospital-by-hospital results, along with their comments on performance improvement efforts, can be viewed at the site.
About the California Institute for Health Systems Performance
The California Institute for Health Systems Performance is a nonprofit organization working with hospitals and other providers to develop better ways to measure and improve health care quality. For more information, visit www.cihsp.org.