Perception of Hospital Care in the U.S.

Patient-centered care is a key element of high-quality healthcare systems, yet we know little about the quality of hospital care from the patient’s perspective. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey was administered at hospitals nationwide. Researchers used data (patient surveys completed in 2006–2007) from approximately 2500 hospitals to assess four questions.

• How do hospitals perform on measurements of patients’ experiences? Among patients who responded to the survey (approximately one third of recipients), 63% scored their care as 9 or 10 (out of a possible 10) on a global rating scale. An additional 26% rated their care as 7 or 8, and 11% assigned ratings of 6 or lower.

• What characteristics o…