Patient Experience

What HCAHPS measures

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey has ten composite topics. Room-adjacent items include:

• Communication with nurses.
• Communication with doctors.
• Responsiveness of hospital staff.
• Communication about medicines.
• Cleanliness of the hospital environment.
• Quietness of the hospital environment.
• Discharge information and care transitions.

Publicly reported, tied to Medicare Value-Based Purchasing incentives.

What patients actually notice

In interviews, patients rarely mention the technology in the room by name. They mention whether they could sleep, whether they knew who was caring for them, whether their pain was managed, and whether they were told what would happen next. Every room design and technology decision should be traceable to one of those four.

Frameworks

• Institute for Healthcare Improvement — Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms.
• Planetree — Person-Centered Care designation.
• NEJM Catalyst Patient Experience Insights Council.
• CMS Hospital VBP Program and HCAHPS.