HEALTHGRADES ANNOUNCES TOP HOSPITALS DELIVERING BEST-IN-CLASS PATIENT EXPERIENCE AND PATIENT SAFETY

News provided by

Mar 14, 2023, 08:01 ET

If all hospitals, as a group, performed similarly to hospitals that achieved a 2023 Patient Safety Excellence Award, up to 95,880 patient safety events could have been avoided between 2019 and 2021.
From 2019 to 2021, four patient safety indicators (PSIs) account for 74% of all patient safety events: in-hospital fall resulting in hip fracture, collapsed lung due to procedure or surgery in or around the chest, pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital, and catheter-related bloodstream infections.
419 hospitals across 47 states (top 15% of eligible hospitals) received the 2023 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™, and 445 hospitals across 44 states (top 10% of hospitals) received a 2023 Patient Safety Excellence Award™. Only 83 hospitals (2% of hospitals) received both awards.

DENVER, March 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthgrades, the #1 website Americans use to find care, today announced the recipients of two hospital quality awards. The 2023 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recognizes hospitals across the nation that are providing quality care while preventing serious safety events during hospital stays, and the Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ celebrates hospitals delivering the best patient experiences.

Patient Safety Excellence Award™

The Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award recognizes the top 10% of hospitals based on an analysis of inpatient MedPAR data that measures clinical performance across 14 patient safety indicators, with each PSI representing a serious, potentially preventable complication.* To be eligible for the award, hospitals must meet certain clinical quality thresholds, have zero instances in which a foreign object was left behind during a procedure, and have data on at least seven out of eight core PSIs.

Healthgrades' analysis revealed that patients treated at recipient hospitals are less likely to experience the following safety events than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals:

In-hospital fall resulting in hip fracture (61.6% less likely)
Collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest (52.7%)
Pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital (66.1%)
Catheter-related bloodstream infections (67.3%)

"Consumers are investing more time in researching and selecting the most suitable hospital and physician for their unique care needs. This trend can be seen in the way that consumers are taking an active role in their own health care," said Brad Bowman, MD, chief medical officer of Healthgrades. "Healthgrades' Patient Safety Excellence Award and Outstanding Patient Experience Award highlight the hospitals that are making patient safety and experience a priority, helping patients feel confident as they make more informed decisions about their health care."

Outstanding Patient Experience Award™

For this annual patient experience analysis, Healthgrades evaluated Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient survey data against 10 patient experience benchmarks to identify the institutions displaying an unwavering commitment to prioritizing positive patient experience during a short-term, acute care visit.^† The 2023 award recipients are among the top 15% of U.S. hospitals that provide a best-in-class hospital experience for patients during the January 2021 through December 2021 study period.

Based on this analysis, Healthgrades identified three patient experience ratings that best predict whether a patient will recommend a hospital to friends and family:

Doctor communication
Nurse communication
Clear communication about care when discharged

"When choosing a hospital or physician, consumers often fail to consider key determinants of exceptional care–including hospital quality and clinical outcomes–simply because they are unaware that they have access to this information," said Burt Kann, EVP and head of product at Healthgrades. "Our mission is to provide patients with the resources and knowledge they need to make the best decisions based on trusted information, not just instinct."

Consumers are increasingly considering patient experience and safety factors to assess hospitals and choose the location of their preferred healthcare facility. In fact, 57% of Americans reported in a recent Healthgrades study that since the pandemic, they are more concerned with the quality of care provided by their doctors and hospitals.^‡ Through hospital ratings and awards, Healthgrades makes it easier for these quality-conscious patients to find and select a hospital based on objective, reliable measures of clinical performance.

To find top-ranked patient care near you, view the full Patient Safety Excellence Award and Outstanding Patient Experience Award recipient lists. Consumers can also visit healthgrades.com for more information on how Healthgrades rates hospital quality, as well as access the complete award methodologies.

*Statistics are calculated from Healthgrades Patient Safety Ratings and Excellence Award methodology which is based primarily on AHRQ technical specifications (Version 2022.0.1) to MedPAR data from nearly 4,500 hospitals for years 2019 through 2021 and represent 3-year estimates for Medicare patients only.

^†Healthgrades evaluated 3,138 hospitals that submitted at least 100 patient experience surveys to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), covering admissions from January 2021 to December 2021. Hospitals in the bottom 20% for overall clinical quality were excluded from consideration.

^‡COVID-19 Patient Confidence Study, October 2022, n=991

About Healthgrades

Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering stronger and more meaningful connections between patients and their healthcare providers. As the #1 platform for finding a doctor and a leader in healthcare transparency, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their healthcare professional of choice and prepare for their appointments with best-in-class, treatment-focused content.

Our health system, large group practice, and life sciences marketing solutions have been helping our partners reach and engage consumers who are on their way to the doctor for over 20 years.

Healthgrades is part of RVO Health, a partnership between Red Ventures and Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group. RVO Health has the largest consumer health and wellness audience online across its brand portfolio including Healthgrades, Healthline, Medical News Today, Greatist, Psych Central, Bezzy and Platejoy which touch every part of the health and wellness journey. Each month, RVO Health helps more than 100 million unique visitors live their strongest and healthiest lives.

SOURCE Healthgrades