A data driven approach

It seems that hospitals can often get a bad wrap.

This seems especially true due to the plethora of medical dramas over the years in which medical professionals are able to solve complex health issues by the end of an episode or a cranky, anti-social but genius doctor can determine a diagnosis no other doctor could. Just like restaurants or coffee shops, recommendations and reviews are often subjective. Memorial Hospital of Carbon County (MHCC), however, is now using a familiar tool in a new way to encourage residents to “rediscover your local hospital.”

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems—or HCAHPS—is a nationwide, standardized tool which measures a patient’s hospital experience. Following an inpatient stay, this survey is conducted by Fields Healthcare Research and asks a total of 19 questions about their perception of their time at the hospital.

“These questions range from nurse communication all the way down to how would you rate the quietness of your room, the cleanliness of the room,” said Stephanie Hinkle, communications director for MHCC. “It’s not just the clinical care.”

In the past, the data from these surveys would be sent to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). Earlier this year, Hinkle took over the review of the data received from Fields Healthcare Research. Along with sending this information to CMS, it was ultimately decided to also use it as a communication tool both externally with the public and internally with staff.

“It takes any of the emotion or the guesswork out of it,” said Hinkle. “This helps us really hone in and have a much more data driven approach to be able to watch, evaluate and implement new processes. It’s a way for us to tie all of that together which ties directly into our quality initiative.”

Some of those numbers put MHCC higher than the state average.

For example, according to the survey data compiled from September and October of this year, 100% of responses were favorable regarding discharge information and responsiveness of hospital staff while the state average was 86% and 74%, respectively. Doctor communication was 90.48% for MHCC with the state average being just 80% and nurse communication was also 90.48% for the county hospital while the state average was at 81%.

The number which Hinkle was most proud of was the 100% favorable response regarding the rating of MHCC. With 0 being “the worst hospital possible” and 10 being “the best hospital possible,” MHCC got a perfect score compared to the state average of 71%.

“The face of healthcare is changing so rapidly and sometimes we tend to hear more of the negative than positive. So to be able to take actual, number driven information like this and share that is very encouraging,” said Hinkle. “It’s a great motivator to keep doing the great clinical work we’re doing.”

While there are 19 questions asked of patients following a hospital stay, Hinkle said they are not required to answer all of them and can opt out of some of the questions. This, she admits, can have an impact on the final survey results, either positive or negative. If patients pass on a certain question or multiple questions, the response rate is reduced and an positive or negative answer can swing the data one way or another.

“We would love to have everybody answer every question. As we look at this information, it’s something we have to keep in mind,” said Hinkle. “Some of these questions, we’re seeing a much higher response rate.”

The data for 2023 is strictly based around inpatient hospital experiences. That will change in 2024, said Hinkle, as it will also become a federal requirement to report on outpatient experiences. This, she said, will help provide an even clearer picture as data comes in from MHCC’s clinics and other outpatient services. Still, Hinkle is pleased with the results they have so far.

“This validates the really excellent clinical care that our staff are providing,” said Hinkle.