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New Web Site Helps Californians Compare Hospitals
Patients Rate Their Experience on Seven Categories of Care
With the launch today of www.calhospitals.org, Californians can view what patients think of the care they received at hospitals all over the state. Nearly 35,000 people who had spent at least one night in a participating hospital responded to this second statewide patient experience survey, sponsored by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) and the California Institute for Health Systems Performance (CIHSP). Using the Web site, consumers are able to compare hospital results by city, county, or zip code.
Statewide, about 25 percent of hospitals received an above average rating for their overall performance. Eighteen percent were rated below average and 57 percent were rated average.
The patient experience survey is part of a growing movement to publicly report performance of health care organizations. The number of California hospitals volunteering to participate in the study increased by 61 percent over the first survey in 2001. The 181 hospitals that took part represent 54 percent of the states licensed beds. The total includes three childrens hospitals.
A technical report on the PEP-C survey, including methodology, is available at www.chcf.org. A printed consumer guide, which contains much of the information available on the Web site, can be ordered at 1.888.430.CHCF (2423) and is also available at www.calhospitals.org.
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