Patients Choose Hospitals Mostly On Reputation Says JD Power Study

Patient perceptions of a hospital’s reputation plays an important role in hospital selection, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2005 National Hospital Service Performance StudySM released today.

The study, which measures satisfaction among recently discharged hospital patients, finds that three-fourths of patients use reputation-related information as their primary criteria in selecting a hospital. Nearly one-half (48%) of patients say that the hospital’s overall reputation was their primary criterion for selection, while 25 percent say the availability of good doctors and having skilled nurses on staff was most important in their selection.

"Perception plays an important role in the choices today’s healthcare consumers make," said Steven D. Wood, senior vice president and general manager of the healthcare practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "More than ever before, patients have a choice for their healthcare providers, and this choice depends a great deal on the personal services rendered at a highly emotional time in their lives. As patient choices increase, hospitals need to continue to enhance the clinical and experiential quality of patient care and effectively communicate their performance in the communities they serve."

The study finds that 59 percent of respondents whose hospital stay was planned indicate that they were involved in the hospital selection decision either solely or with a doctor, while only 8 percent felt they were constrained by what their health plan would allow. Among patients who were "delighted" with their hospital experience (providing a score of 10 on a 10-point scale), a strong majority (86 percent) say they are likely to choose the same hospital in the future should the need arise, and 83 percent would recommend the hospital to others.

The study measures overall patient satisfaction in five categories: dignity and respect; speed and efficiency; comfort; information and communication; and emotional support.

Patients overall are very satisfied with the service they received during their most recent hospital stay, with 74 percent of patients giving the hospital high ratings regarding their hospital experience. Hospitals receive the highest ratings from patients in the area of dignity and respect, which includes the courtesy of doctors and nurses and the hospital personnel’s respect for privacy. Conversely, patients have consistently given hospitals the lowest ratings for speed and efficiency, with only 36 percent of patients indicating they were delighted.

Hospital patients who are 66 years old and older report much higher levels of satisfaction than do younger patients. Forty-two percent of patients 66 years old and older report being delighted with the overall hospital service experience, compared to 25 percent among patients 18 to 45 years old and 31 percent among patients 46 to 65 years old. The proportion of patients who indicate they are delighted is lowest among childbirth patients (26%), compared to medical (35%) and surgical (34%) patients. Patients living in a rural area are more likely to be delighted as compared to patients living in an urban area (38% of rural patients are delighted compared to 32% of urban patients).

The 2005 National Hospital Service Performance Study is based on responses from approximately 2,500 patients who stayed in a hospital for at least one night within the previous three to nine months of being surveyed.

posted by Consumer Help Web Editorial Team at 10:16 PM |