Patient Satisfaction Outcomes

Communication with Nurses

What are we measuring and why?

As part of a survey about their experience at University Hospitals, patients who received medical, surgical, or obstetric care are asked the following three questions about their interactions with our nursing staff:

• During this hospital stay, how often did nurses treat you with courtesy and respect?
• During this hospital stay, how often did nurses listen carefully to you?
• During this hospital stay, how often did nurses explain things in a way you could understand?

The answers to these questions help us identify areas in which our staff’s communication skills are strong as well as areas in need of improvement.

How Are We Doing and How Do We Compare to Best Practice?

Communication with Doctors

What Are We Measuring and Why?

As part of a survey about their experience at University Hospitals, inpatients who received medical, surgical, or obstetric care are asked the following three questions about their interactions with doctors:

• During this hospital stay, how often did doctors treat you with courtesy and respect?
• During this hospital stay, how often did doctors listen carefully to you?
• During this hospital stay, how often did doctors explain things in a way you could understand?

The answers to these questions help us identify areas in which the doctors’ communication skills are strong as well as areas in need of improvement.

How Are We Doing and How Do We Compare to Best Practice?

Responsiveness of Hospital Staff

What Are We Measuring and Why?

As part of a survey about their experience at University Hospitals, inpatients who received medical, surgical, or obstetric care are asked the following two questions about the timeliness of assistance from our staff:

• During this hospital stay, after you pressed the call button, how often did you get help as soon as you wanted it?
• How often did you get help in getting to the bathroom or in using a bedpan as soon as you wanted?

This information helps us gauge how responsive our staff members are to patients’ needs and identify ways to improve.

How Are We Doing and How Do We Compare to Best Practice?

Pain Management

What Are We Measuring and Why?

As part of a survey about their experience at University Hospitals, inpatients who received medical, surgical, or obstetric care are asked the following two questions about how MGH manages pain:

• During this hospital stay, how often was your pain well controlled?
• During this hospital stay, how often did the hospital staff do everything they could to help you with your pain?

The answers to these questions help us identify areas in which we can improve pain management for our patients.

How Are We Doing and How Do We Compare to Best Practice?

Communication about Medications

What Are We Measuring and Why?

As part of a survey about their experience at University Hospitals, inpatients who received medical, surgical, or obstetric care are asked the following two questions about their experiences with medications in the hospital:

• Before giving you any new medicine, how often did hospital staff tell you what the medicine was for?
• Before giving you any new medicine, how often did hospital staff describe possible side effects in a way you could understand?

The answers to these questions help us identify areas in which we can improve our communications with patients about medications.

How Are We Doing and How Do We Compare to Best Practice?

Room Cleanliness and Quietness

What Are We Measuring and Why?

As part of a survey about their experience at University Hospitals, inpatients who received medical, surgical, or obstetric care are asked two questions about our physical environment:

• During this hospital stay, how often were your room and bathroom kept clean?
• During this hospital stay, how often was the area around your room quiet at night?

This information helps us better understand patients’ perceptions of the UH environment and identify ways to improve.

How Are We Doing and How Do We Compare to Best Practice?

Discharge Information

What Are We Measuring and Why?

As part of a survey about their experience at University Hospitals, inpatients who received medical, surgical, or obstetric care are asked the following two questions about the discharge instructions they received:

• During your hospital stay, did hospital staff talk with you about whether you would have the help you needed when you left the hospital?
• During your hospital stay, did you get information in writing about what symptoms or health problems to look out for after you left the hospital?

This information helps us better understand patients’ perceptions of the instructions provided by UH staff and identify ways to improve.

How Are We Doing and How Do We Compare to Best Practice?

Overall Rating

What Are We Measuring and Why?

As part of a survey about their experience at University Hospitals, certain types of patients are asked to rate their overall experience at the hospital on a scale of 0 (worst possible hospital) to 10 (best possible hospital). This information gives us a bottom-line or broad view of how patients perceive their experience with us. The survey reports responses of surgical, medical, and obstetric patients as well as responses of all patients who stay overnight in the hospital.

How Are We Doing and How Do We Compare to Best Practice?