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One key measure of hospital care quality is the facility’s readmission rates, or the percentage of patients who experience unplanned readmission after a previous stay. Readmissions are expensive—more than $14,000 per readmission in costs to the hospital, on average, according to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Even though hospitals may end up making a […]

The term patient-reported outcomes (PROs) refers to a health outcome directly based on patient self-reporting. PROs are a key aspect of clinical trials and treatments, and in modern health care settings, many organizations are transitioning away from pen-and-paper data collection methods and moving to electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs). Analog vs. Digital Research has shown there […]

Numerous studies have shown correlations between patient satisfaction and outcomes—two key performance indicators for medical organizations. Due to these trends, as well as an increasing recognition of person-centeredness as one of the key domains of high-quality care, it’s essential that healthcare providers prioritize person-centered care. What Is Person-Centered Care? Person-centered care, also referred to as […]

Nursing staff, including registered nurses, nursing aid, and nursing managers and directors, play an integral role in a patient’s experience within any health care setting. As such, these care providers are often instrumental in improving overall patient satisfaction, and are often the first to ask, “How can nurses improve patient satisfaction?” 4 Nursing Strategies to […]

Today’s healthcare organizations are saddled with the challenging task of balancing medical outcomes, budget constraints, and improving patient satisfaction. While certain factors affecting patient satisfaction will require ample time and resources to resolve, there are a number of small, inexpensive ways to improve patient satisfaction within various healthcare facilities. The Importance of Patient Experience In […]

Social determinants of health (SDOH) is a term used to describe the conditions where people live, learn, work, play, and age that directly affect their health outcomes and risks. While the ability to influence these factors has traditionally been viewed as something outside the role of clinical care, government initiatives are placing increasing responsibility for […]

Nurse fatigue and disengagement can pose serious problems for healthcare organizations, and a recent survey from Kronos found 63% of nurses say their job has caused burnout. The survey also found that more than 4 out of 5 nurses think hospitals today are losing good staff because other employers offer a better work/life balance. When […]

Burnout, often defined as mental and physical exhaustion caused by excessive work-related stress, is a common issue in many professions, especially healthcare. In particular, nurses and physicians frequently experience burnout due to the stressful nature of their positions, and the number of healthcare practitioners who report feelings of burnout has been steadily increasing in recent […]

Readmission rates are a concern for many hospitals, as admitting the same patient multiple times is costly, and, if readmission rates for the facility are higher than average, it can lead to penalties under the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). As such, many organizations are continuously looking for ways […]

To improve quality scores and patient outcomes, healthcare organizations often need to implement strategies that close gaps in care. When there are gaps in patient care, individuals are more likely to experience negative health outcomes, which can result in readmission, lower quality and satisfaction scores, and increased costs for healthcare providers. However, closing these gaps […]

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) is a standardized survey developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) that is sent to patients after they have been discharged from a hospital. The HCAHPS Scores are determined by survey measures of patient satisfaction with their hospital experience, asking questions about […]

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), or the economic and social conditions that influence the health of patients, have a significant impact on medical outcomes. Factors like homelessness, food insecurity, education quality, and employment opportunities all play a role in an individual’s health and well-being—in fact, some experts say more than 80% of health is directly […]