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Why Measure Both? HCAHPS & PRC Loyalty Surveys
The HCAHPS survey is a valuable tool for hosptials seeking to promote service consistency and ensure that basic elements of the service experience are being performed throughout the hospital.  However, patients' perceptions of "how consistently" a service was provided are not the same as understanding their perceptions of "how well" that service was provided.  Focusing on consistent behaviors is only one piece of a successful strategy to differentiate your hospital and win the loyalty of your patients. 

Download this article to learn why PRC recommends a two-pronged strategy that centers on the PRC Loyalty Survey augmented with either a separate HCAHPS survey or in combination with HCAHPS survey questions to optimally position your hospital.

Measuring Patient Loyalty
As the public reporting era of HCAHPS begins, it is important to remember that the CMS's research objective for HCAHPS is to measure the effectiveness of their efforts to standardize methods of providing patient care across all hospitals.  Unfortunately, this is not sufficient for earning and increasing the patient loyalty that is so vital to the growth of your organization.

Click on the link below to read the research behind why and how to earn patient loyalty.

HHS Requests Congress Ties HCAHPS Scores to Reimbursement
November 26, 2007 - Mike Leavitt, HHS Secretary, asked Congress to vote on a measure that would tie several key performance indicators to Medicare reimbursements.  These key performance indicators, known collectively by Medicare as Value-Based Purchasing of Hospital Services (VBP), include HCAHPS.

Stated Mr. Leavitt, "Under VBP, a percentage of the hospital's base operating payment for each discharge (the diagnosis related group or DRG payment) would be contingent on the hospital's actual performance on a specific set of measures.  The transition from pay-for-reporting to an incentive based completely on performance would occur over a three-year period.  Public reporting of quality measures on Medicare's Hospital Compare site, a key component of the Reporting Hospital Quality program, would remain an essential component of VBP."

In short, HHS is recommending that Medicare reimbursement levels to be contingent upon hospitals' Hospital Compare quality reporting scores, which includes HCAHPS.  In the December 3, 2007 issue, Modern Healthcare reports that as much as 5% of inpatient payments would be withheld and placed into a pool to reward some hospitals for improvements.  The rewards would be based on hospitals' overall scores on a range of clinical processes, 30-day mortality outcomes, as well as HCAHPS ratings.

HHS is asking Congress to vote on the initiative soon so that they can begin the 3-year implementation by the start of FY2009 (October 2008). 

HCAHPS Survey
A .pdf copy of the final HCAHPS survey is available here for download by clicking on the link below.
 
 
 
 

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