Hospital Comparison

Hospital Comparison

(Figure omitted for preview. Available via download)

There is much to be seen through analyzing the surveys of hospitals and comparing them to the average numbers throughout the state and the nation. In some areas, there is room for improvement, in others, the jobs seem to be well done.

The hospitals researched in this comparison are in and around the 91911 area code. They are Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, Scripps Mercy Hospital and the University Of California San Diego Medical Center.

There were 10 indicators for these three hospitals, which give much-needed insight into how they stack up against each other, and other hospitals, in the areas of service and care.

One of the indicators was the average time patients spent in the emergency department before being seen by a healthcare professional, Scripps Mercy Hospital was well below the average of the other two hospitals, averaging 20 minutes. Although it even beat the state and national averages, it was a little closer to them than the others were.

For another survey, the average time patients spent in the emergency department before being admitted to the hospital as an inpatient was looked at. Those with non-medical emergencies were not included. All three hospitals surveyed were way over the national average of 274 minutes, with Scripps Mercy Hospital being the closest to the state average of 323 minutes, at 342 minutes spent in that department.

After being seen in the emergency room, the patients were asked about how long they spent in total time there before being sent home. Again, the national average was the lowest, at 138 minutes. This shows very disappointing results for the University Of California San Diego Medical Center. At 282 minutes in total, it is higher than its competition.

As far as care goes, nurses were rated first on patient communication. The numbers were mostly in the high 70 percent range. The University Of California San Diego Medical Center redeemed itself in this category, coming in at the highest percentage, 79, beating even the national average of 78 percent.

The doctor's care at the University of California San Diego beat the national average of 81 percent, with their 82 percent score. The other two hospitals scored the same at the state did, at 78 percent.

The patients who "always" received help as soon as they wanted it category had disappointing numbers for all, with Scripps Mercy coming in with the lowest score of 58 percent. Even the highest-ranking hospital, Sharp Chula Vista, had a measly 66 percent satisfaction rating according to the hospital consumer assessment.

Pain was surveyed, with the patients being asked if it was "always" well controlled. The scores were pretty similar, with the state score at the lowest percentage of 68. The rest all stayed around in the 70 percent range, which is a number that can definitely be improved upon.

Room cleanliest scored a little bit higher numbers, with only Scripps Mercy under 70 percent. Sharp Chula had a decent score of 75 percent, over the national average of 73 percent.

Rest is important for patients' health, and it requires quiet at nighttime. When patients were asked how well their hospital ranked, only the national average came in at 60 percent. All of the others fell below that number, with Sharp Chula Vista showing a meager 49 percent.

The last study was done with the patients who answered "yes" if they were given information about what to do during their home recovery process. Great scores were had by all, in the 80 percent range. With Sharp Chula Vista at 85 percent and the University of California San Diego at 86 percent, both over-ranked the national average of 84 percent.

Hospitals like the University of California San Diego might have lower scores in the wait time to see the doctor because they do not seem to have the technology they need to speed up the process. According to Alvarado Hospital website, they are the first hospital in San Diego to post emergency room (ER) wait times on a smartphone app ("Emergency Room (ER) Services," n.d.). This would help in their scores, as people might not come in if the ER is too busy, and they can wait.

Rankings in other time categories could also be affected by the amount of staff on hand. If one hospital has more medical staff available to take care of patients during peak busy times, they would get them in and out faster, lowering the wait times, and increasing their scores.

With patient care, there is much room for improvement with patients getting it when they ask for medical help as needed. At Paradise Valley Hospital, it seems to be very patient-centric, with interpreter services, and a restriction on visitors and activities in shared rooms. ("Your Resources," n.d.) Scripps Mercy should take note of this in setting out to improve their services and scores.

There is always room for improvement, and when looking outside of one hospital and comparing it to another, there is better insight as to how higher numbers and better service can be achieved.

References

Emergency Room (ER) Services. (n.d.). Emergency Department. Retrieved November 25, 2013, from http://www.alvaradohospital.com/Programs-and-Services/Emergency-Department.aspx

Medicare Hospital Comparison. (n.d.). Medicare Hospital Comparison. Retrieved November 25, 2013, from http://www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/compare.html

Your Resources. (n.d.). : Paradise Valley Hospital. Retrieved November 25, 2013, from http://www.paradisevalleyhospital.net/Patients-Visitors/Patient-Guide/Your-Resources.aspx