Patient satisfaction increases in Ohio hospitals

If Ohio hospitals were a restaurant, they would get three-and-a-half stars for client satisfaction.

A new way of ranking hospitals' patient satisfaction scores on Medicare's Hospital Compare website allows patients to review how hospitals performed on a five-star ranking, much like the current way nursing homes are graded.

Across the United States, only 251 hospitals received five stars, the highest score, and 15 of those were in Ohio, according to U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data released Thursday.

Bucyrus Community Hospital received three stars for its overall patient satisfaction score. Galion Community Hospital received four stars.

About 58 percent of patients said they would definitely recommend Bucyrus Community Hospital, which was lower than the state average of 71.9 percent. A higher portion, 73 percent, said they would recommend Galion Community Hospital, according to analysis of Medicare survey data.

Avita Health Systems, which runs both hospitals, created a family concierge program to help joint replacement patients and their families through the day of the recovery, spokeswoman Kelby King said. It also hired a patient experience manager dedicated to making sure patients' stays are positive, she added.

Besides creating a program dedicated to improving patient experience, Avita also made major renovations in their hospitals. Both Bucyrus and Galion hospitals' inpatient rooms were remodeled and several key departments were relocated to ensure convenient patient access, King said.

Rooms have been cleaner and quieter at Bucyrus Community Hospital since surveys released in 2009. At Galion Community Hospital, staff have improved the ways they handle patients' pain, explain medications and tell patients about recovery, according to survey data.

In survey data released Thursday, which ranged from July 2013 to June 2014:

•78 percent of patients at Bucyrus Community Hospital said doctors always communicated well, down from 83 percent in 2009. At Galion Community Hospital, 84 percent of patients said doctors always communicated well, down from 88 percent in 2009. The state average was 80.8 percent, up from 78 percent five years ago.

•70 percent of patients at Bucyrus Community Hospital said their pain was always well-controlled, down from 76 percent in 2009. At Galion Community Hospital, 78 percent said their pain was always well-controlled, up from 73 percent in 2009. The state average was 71.8 percent, up from 68.3 percent five years ago.

•78 percent of patients at Bucyrus Community Hospital said their room and bathroom were always clean, up from 74 percent in 2009. At Galion Community Hospital, 72 percent said their room and bathroom were always clean, down from 79 percent. The state average was 75.2 percent, up from 69.9 percent five years ago.

•57 percent of patients at Bucyrus Community Hospital said the area around their room was always quiet at night, up slightly from 56 percent in 2009. At Galion Community Hospital, 60 percent said the area around their room was always quiet at night, up from 56 percent in 2009. The state average was 59.7 percent, up from 52 percent five years ago.

•89 percent of patients at Bucyrus Community Hospital said they were given information about what to do during their recovery at home, up slightly from 90 percent in 2009. At Galion Community Hospital, 91 percent of patients were given information about what to do during their recovery, up from 89 percent in 2009. The state average was 87.7 percent, up from 81.9 percent five years ago.

• 58 percent of patients at Bucyrus Community Hospital said they would definitely recommend the hospital, down from 69 percent in 2009. At Galion Community Hospital, 73 percent said they would definitely recommend the hospital, down from 76 percent in 2009. The state average was 71.9 percent, up from 67.6 percent five years ago.

King said more recent data show both hospitals improving in the area of patients recommending the facilities to others. The most recent surveys on Hospital Compare are from mid-2014.

"It is common for people to find these scores on U.S. Hospital Compare, which normally posts year-old data. Avita monitors these sites daily and keeps abreast of how we rank compared to hospitals across the state," she said.

jbalmert@gannett.com

740-328-8548

Twitter: @jbalmert