Patients are reporting worse experiences receiving hospital-based care amid the pandemic for nine of 10 care domains measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, according to a May 10 report from the Leapfrog Group.
Leapfrog analyzed HCAHPS data CMS collected from 3,571 hospitals in 2019 (before the pandemic) and from 3,502 hospitals between July 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021 (mid-pandemic).
Below are the percentages of patients who gave the most favorable responses to survey items in each of the 10 HCAHPS care domains. Becker's calculated the percent change of these tallies between 2019 and 2020-21. The data shows patient experience measures worsened in every domain but hospital quietness.
Domains are listed by the change in the average percentage of patients with the most positive response.
Hospital quietness — 1.01 percent increase since 2019
Pre-pandemic: 59.6 percent of patients gave the most favorable responses in this domain
Mid-pandemic: 60.2
Discharge information — 0.9 percent decrease
Pre-pandemic: 86.9
Mid-pandemic: 86.1
Willingness to recommend hospital — 1.41 percent decrease
Pre-pandemic: 70.7
Mid-pandemic: 69.7
Overall hospital rating — 1.54 percent decrease
Pre-pandemic: 71.6
Mid-pandemic: 70.5
Communication with physicians — 1.74 percent decrease
Pre-pandemic: 80.2
Mid-pandemic: 78.8
Communication with nurses — 1.76 percent decrease
Pre-pandemic: 79.7
Mid-pandemic: 78.3
Care transitions — 3.65 percent decrease
Pre-pandemic: 52.1
Mid-pandemic: 50.2
Hospital cleanliness — 3.94 percent decrease
Pre-pandemic: 73.6
Mid-pandemic: 70.7
Communication about medicines — 4.84 percent decrease
Pre-pandemic: 64.1
Mid-pandemic: 61
Hospital staff's responsiveness — 5.51 percent decrease
Pre-pandemic: 67.1
Mid-pandemic: 63.4