Patient satisfaction and willingness to recommend hospital

HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) is a national, standardized survey of hospital patients. HCAHPS (pronounced “H-caps”) was created to publicly report the patient’s perspective of hospital care. The survey asks a random sample of recently discharged patients about important aspects of their hospital experience.

The HCAHPS results posted on Hospital Compare allow consumers to make comparisons between hospitals, and to compare individual hospitals to state and national averages/benchmarks.

When patients are satisfied with the care they received at a hospital, they are more likely to recommend that hospital to family and friends. Patient satisfaction is one indicator of quality healthcare. A high score may indicate that a hospital provides a higher level of patient care.

About this measure

The question asked for this measure is: “Would you recommend this hospital to your friends and family?” Possible responses are Definitely Yes, Probably Yes, Probably No, and Definitely No.  The measure reflects the percentage of respondents who answered Definitely Yes to these questions.

Note: In this case, a higher number is better.