Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine, CA, publishes its outcomes data every year at http://bit.ly/2C8nI99, reporting improvements in quality along with illustrations of how the hospital addresses deficiencies.
For instance, inpatient volume increased from 2,933 in 2011 to 4,662 in 2016, and the hospital now has the lowest readmission rate in the United States for hip and knee replacement, the second-lowest readmission rate in the country for all-cause hospitalizations, and the lowest readmission rate in California for all-cause hospitalizations.
Patient satisfaction data indicated in 2016 that 93% would “definitely recommend” the hospital to friends and family, but hospital leaders wanted to understand why the other 7% would not. They studied survey scores and comments, finding that a common complaint was the noise level at the hospital. Those findings are similar to conclusions in the national Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, in which “quietness of hospital environment” consistently ranks as a top determinant of patient satisfaction.
A multidisciplinary team contacted discharged patients to ask about noise, and they identified equipment noise and staff conversations as the primary reasons for dissatisfaction. As a result, the hospital invested in equipment to allow remote monitoring of each patient room, which allowed it to minimize the use of alarms. The system also sends vital sign data to the nursing station, which eliminates much of the noisy machinery being wheeled into patient rooms.
“Immediately, scores rating the quietness of the environment increased at about the same rate that the complaints about noise declined,” the most recent report says. “HOI began to receive comments commending staff for providing a restful and quiet environment.”
In the first two months of 2016, 58% of patients said it was always quiet outside their rooms at night. In the last two months, that number increased to 71%.
