Shoshanna Sofaer|Christine Crofton|Elizabeth Goldstein|Elizabeth Hoy|Jenny Crabb
What Do Consumers Want to Know about the Quality of Care in Hospitals?
Baruch College
guide development consumer assessments healthcare providers systems cahps hospital survey identifying domains hospital quality included survey recent hospital patients survey items within domains would greatest interest consumers patientsprimary data collected four cities baltimore los angeles phoenix orlando demographically varied mix people recently hospitalized close loved one hospitalized study designdata collection method total 16 focus groups held four cities groups structured homogeneous respect type health care coverage medicare nonmedicare type recent hospital experience urgent admission elective admission maternity admission admission heterogeneous respect raceethnicity gender educational attainment addition moderated discussions focus group participants completed pregroup questionnaire various paper pencil exercises groupsa wide range features identified participants relevant hospital quality many consonant domains items cahps hospital survey however addressed structural features hospitals hospital outcomes best derived patient experience survey shown domains items considered inclusion cahps hospital survey participants interested items relating doctor communication patients nurse hospital staff communication patients responsiveness patient needs cleanliness hospital room bathroom findings quite consistent across groups regardless location participant characteristicsconsumers patients high degree interest hospital quality found high proportion items considered cahps hospital survey important would consider changing hospitals response information hospital choice may well constrained patients publicly reported information patient perspective also used support patient discussions facilities physicians ensure patients best hospital experience possible