A new report from Market Insights by National Research Corporation identifies the correlation between key reputation indicators, such as a hospital having the "best nurses," and patient experience scores on the HCAHPS survey.
MI analyzed two data sets — one measuring hospital reputation among the general population, and another measuring patient experience among discharged patients. Reputation was measured through data collected from an MI survey, while patient experience was measured with publicly available HCAHPS data. The report measured the correlation through Pearson correlation coefficients, controlling for bed size.
Facilities with high patient experience scores — measured by the HCAHPS' measures "Recommend the Hospital" and "Overall Hospital Rating" — tended to score highly on reputation metrics. Hospitals with low patient experience scores are four times more likely to have poor reputation scores, according to the report.
The report also notes a lag time, in that the quality of the patient experience provided in a hospital today is "significantly related" to the reputation of that hospital six months from now.
What reputational traits are most correlated with HCAHPS scores?
The following reputation metrics from the MI survey were most correlated with HCAHPS' scores for "Overall Hospital Rating" and "Recommend Hospital," respectively. The figures below represent the Pearson correlation coefficients (which range from -1.0 and +1.0). Each finding has a statistical significance no greater than .05.
1. Most personalized care — .36 and .41
2. Best accommodations — .35 and .40
3. Highest patient safety — .35 and .40
4. Best nurses — .34 and .39
5. Best overall quality — .33 and .37
6. Best image/reputation — .31 and .35
7. Best physicians — .30 and .34
8. Most preferred for all health needs — .28 and .33
9. Hospital website used most often — .28 and .33
10. Latest technology and equipment — .27 and .31
11. Widest range of services — .25 and .29
12. Best community health programs — .24 and .30
13. Hospital most conveniently located — .06 and .10
14. Care for those unable to pay — .02 and .03
More Articles on Patient Experience:
Patient Experience Roundtable: Raising and Maintaining Patient Satisfaction
4 Steps to Move From "Good" to "Great" Patient Experience
Survey: Distracted Leadership Main Roadblock to Improved Patient Experience