May 5, 2008

BIGFORK VALLEY NEWS RELEASE

Survey Results

The nation-wide survey of patient satisfaction with hospital visits has been released and Bigfork Valley has the top overall scores in Minnesota.

What are patient satisfaction scores? Surveys were sent randomly to patients discharged from over 2,500 participating hospitals around the country. In total, there were twenty-two questions in ten categories asked about a discharged patient’s hospital experience. Patient satisfaction questions touched on communication with doctors and nurses, responsiveness of staff, pain control, cleanliness, medication information and overall experience. Data was analyzed by independent contractors of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and adjusted for patient mix.

How did Bigfork Valley do? You can go directly to the Minnesota Hospital Association page that compares 53 participating hospitals in Minnesota by clicking on www.mnhospitalquality.org

• How often did doctors communicate well with patients?  (First in Minnesota)
• How often did nurses communicate well with patients?  (First in Minnesota)
• How often did patients receive help quickly from hospital staff?  (First in Minnesota)
• How often did staff explain about medicines before giving them to patients?   (First in Minnesota)
• How often was the area around patients' rooms kept quiet at night?   (First in Minnesota)
• How often were the patients' rooms and bathrooms kept clean?   (First in Minnesota)
• Would patients recommend the hospital to friends and family?   (First in Minnesota)
• Were patients given information about what to do during their recovery at home?   (2nd in Minnesota)
• How often was patients' pain well controlled?  (4th in Minnesota)
• How do patients rate the hospital overall?  (6th in Minnesota)

The national results were recently posted on the Hospital Compare web site at www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov, where there is also more information about the survey. Rankings among hospitals in Minnesota are found at www.mnhospitalquality.org.