Patients’ favorites

Six hospitals continue to receive high scores in satisfaction survey

Published December 30, 2019 by Robert Powell

Virginia’s overall patient satisfaction rate dipped in a recently released nationwide survey, but a consistent group of hospitals in the commonwealth continues to receive high marks.

The patient satisfaction scores come from the annual Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The Virginia results of the latest survey, conducted in 2018, are shown on Pages 46-47. The results are provided by Virginia Health Information, a Richmond-based nonprofit organization offering a wide range of data on hospitals, nursing facilities, physicians and health insurers in the commonwealth.

In addition to the patient satisfaction survey, VHI annually provides Virginia Business with service line reports showing patient discharge volume by region for a wide variety of hospital procedures.

The national satisfaction survey asks patients two questions:

How do they rate their hospitals overall?

Would they recommend the hospital to friends and family?

The highest rating in answer to the first question is: “9 or 10” on a 10-point scale. The highest recommendation in response to the second question is: “Yes, definitely.”

In answering both questions in 2018, 80% or more of respondents gave top ratings to six of 82 Virginia acute-care hospitals: Carilion Giles Community Hospital in Pearisburg, Novant Health UVA Haymarket, Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg, Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Sentara Princess Anne Hospital in Virginia Beach and Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington. All also had high scores on both questions in the 2017 survey.

In addition, another six hospitals scored 80% or better on one of the two questions in the 2018 survey: Inova Fair Oaks Hospital in Fairfax, Russell County Medical Center in Lebanon, Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Smyth Community Hospital in Marion and University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville.

The Virginia average percentages for top ratings in the latest survey were 71% percent for the first question (down from 72% in the 2017 survey) and 70% for the second question (unchanged from the previous year). The national averages for the 2018 survey were 73% for the first question and 72% percent for the second.

In the 2018 survey, data was unavailable from four hospitals, and an insufficient number of patients took the survey at four other facilities.

The service line reports on Pages 48-54 show consumers which hospitals are the market leaders in their regions in terms of patient discharges for a variety of procedures. VHI suggests that patients seek additional information about their options and needs from health-care providers. Not all hospitals provide the same types of care.

VHI also publishes regional and statewide costs for dozens of services to help consumers compare expected costs. These and other details about Virginia hospitals and other health providers are available at www.vhi.org.