HealthGrades, an independent healthcare ratings company, has identified the top 340 hospitals in the nation for patient satisfaction.
The hospitals are the 2009/2010 recipients of HealthGrades' Outstanding Patient Experience Award. Winners were selected following a patient satisfaction survey provided by hospitals under a federal initiative to provide consumers with more information about hospital performance.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey asked 27 questions related to hospital communication, staff responsiveness, noise levels, cleanliness, drug information and post-discharge care instructions.
HealthGrades' study points to large gaps in patient perception of the top 15 percent of recipient hospitals compared to the bottom 15 percent. Patients at the top-performing hospitals were 57 percent more likely to rate their hospital a 9 or 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Among the most common patient complaints at low-performing hospitals was a lack of information about medication as explained by hospital staff. Twenty-five percent of patients at all eligible hospitals said staff sometimes or never explained medications.
Top-performing hospitals were commended for strong communication between staff and patients.
Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Indiana, California and Pennsylvania are among the states with the highest number of hospitals to receive the award. Six states – Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon – saw none of their hospitals receive the award.
Click here for a full list of the recipient hospitals by state.