25 Hospitals With The Best And Worst HCAHPS Scores

HCAHPS (the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) is a patient satisfaction survey required by CMS (the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) for all hospitals in the United States. It is administered to a random sample of adult patients across medical conditions between 48 hours and 6 weeks after discharge.

In CMS’ HCAHPS survey, patients provide feedback on their experience with a hospital in specific areas, including:

•  Communication with nurses
•  Communication with doctors
•  Responsiveness when help is required
•  Pain management
•  Communication about medicines
•  Discharge information
•  Cleanliness and quietness of hospital environment
•  Hospital rating

The survey results are publicly reported for all to see, and may impact a healthcare organization’s reputation. Additionally, the government provides reimbursement based on results – excellent survey performance keeps the hospital financially strong, in a value-based care environment.

25 hospitals with the best HCAHPS scores (5 stars)

This list represents the U.S.’ top rated hospitals in terms of HCAHPS scores. This list includes a smattering of smaller hospitals, and a high volume of surgical centers. Surgical centers may receive higher ratings because there are generally shorter patient stays and lower patient volume, which may result in a better patient experience. It is interesting to note that nearly all of these hospitals are classified as short term acute care hospitals: facilities where patients tend to visit their trusted primary care provider, with whom they build and foster relationships.

25 hospitals with the worst HCAHPS scores (1 star)

This list represents 25 U.S. hospitals that may need to work a bit more on their patient satisfaction strategies. As a whole, these hospitals do have more staffed beds and a higher rate of discharges than the hospitals with five-star ratings, so these low scores may be a result of rushed experiences or a higher patient-to-provider ratios. Patients already expect safe and quality care from their hospitals, so a better patient experience may help improve these hospitals’ HCAHPS ratings. It may also be helpful if these hospitals communicate more clearly and frequently with their patients, given the emphasis on communication in the CMS HCAHPS survey.