Findings from a new study suggests that hospitals that invested more money to improve patient satisfaction generated a minimum or even a negative return in stroke care outcome. Researchers sought to examine the association between patient satisfaction and healthcare quality in distinct classes of diseases, focusing on stroke care. Researchers found that hospitals in the highest quartile of satisfaction provided care that costs 6.9% more than hospitals in the lowest quartile, suggesting that improving patient satisfaction does not help to mitigate inpatient costs. Hospitals that take a large number of patients who have suffered a stroke will spend substantially more money to achieve higher satisfaction. Researchers observed that the cost rose faster than any improvements in outcomes.
Read more:
- Is Higher Patient Satisfaction Associated With Better Stroke Outcomes? The American Journal of Managed Care. October 2017