Hospitals that are top HCAHPS performers are seeing their revenues and net margins grow at an above-average rate, according to a recent Accenture study.
For the study, Accenture compared six years of hospital margin data with patient experience scores from HCAHPS.
The study revealed hospitals that offer a superior patient experience achieve net margins that are 50 percent higher, on average, than those of hospitals that provide an average patient experience. Additionally, among the top HCAHPS performers, revenue growth is outpacing operating expenses.
The correlation between superior patient experiences and higher margins is true for all types of hospitals, including for-profit, nonprofit, academic, urban, rural, stand-alone and those that are part of a health system.
"Patients are increasingly shopping for healthcare services, seeking the best possible overall experience when they need care," said Jean-Pierre Stephan, managing director of Accenture's health customer relationship management offerings. "As a result, leading hospitals are growing profitability not by cutting costs, but by improving the patient experience and satisfaction."
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