PATIENT EXPERIENCE AT DEKALB REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
Acute Care Hospital in Fort Payne, AL 35968
Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Patient Survey
DEKALB REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
200 Med Center Drive Fort Payne, AL 35968
Phone: (256) 845-3150
The patient experience evaluation at Dekalb Regional Medical Center is based on the HCAHPS Patient Survey which is administered to a random sample of adult inpatients after they have been discharged. The survey is based on a national, standardized survey of 32 questions and includes patient perspectives on care and patient rating items in several key topics:
- Communication with hospital staff
- Responsiveness of hospital staff
- Pain management
- Communication about medicines
- Discharge information
- Cleanliness of hospital environment
- Quietness of hospital environment
- Transition of care
Summary Star Rating
The summary star rating combines data from different aspects of the patient’s experience of care to make hospital comparison easier. The summary star rating is includes the following components: nurse communication, doctor communication, responsiveness of hospital staff, pain management, communication about medicines, discharge information and care transition.
Communication with Nurses
As part of the nurse communication survey adult patients recently discharged are asked the following questions about their interactions with the nursing staff. During this hospital stay, how often did nurses treat you with courtesy and respect? During this hospital stay, how often did nurses listen carefully to you?
Communication with Doctors
As part of the doctor communication survey adult patients recently discharged are asked the following questions about their interactions with doctors. During this hospital stay, how often did doctors treat you with courtesy and respect? During this hospital stay, how often did doctors listen carefully to you? During this hospital stay, how often did doctors explain things in a way you could understand?
Responsiveness of Hospital Staff
As part of the staff responsiveness survey adult patients recently discharged are asked the following questions. During this hospital stay, did you need help from nurses or other hospital staff in getting to the bathroom or in using a bedpan? How often did you get help in getting to the bathroom or in using a bedpan as soon as you wanted? During this hospital stay, how often did nurses explain things in a way you could understand? During this hospital stay, after you pressed the call button, how often did you get help as soon as you wanted it?
Pain Management
As part of the patient experience survey adult patients recently discharged are asked the following questions about pain management while in the hospital. During this hospital stay, did you need medicine for pain? During this hospital stay, how often was your pain well controlled? During this hospital stay, how often did the hospital staff do everything they could to help you with your pain?
Communication About Medications
As part of the patient experience survey adult patients recently discharged are asked the following questions about their experiences with medications while in the hospital. During this hospital stay, were you given any medicine that you had not taken before? Before giving you any new medicine, how often did hospital staff tell you what the medicine was for? Before giving you any new medicine, how often did hospital staff describe possible side effects in a way you could understand?
Measure | Hospital Average | How this Hospital Compares |
---|---|---|
Medicication Explanation Rating | Average Measure: Medicication Explanation Rating This measure is based on a sample size of 636. Sample data was collected between 04/01/2014 and 03/31/2015 | Communication about medicines - star rating |
Staff "always" explained | 69% Measure: Staff "always" explained This measure is based on a sample size of 636. Sample data was collected between 04/01/2014 and 03/31/2015 | Patients who reported that staff "Always" explained about medicines before giving it to them A higher medication explanation percentage is better. |
Staff "usually" explained | 13% Measure: Staff "usually" explained This measure is based on a sample size of 636. Sample data was collected between 04/01/2014 and 03/31/2015 | Patients who reported that staff "Usually" explained about medicines before giving it to them |
Staff "sometimes" or "never" explained | 18% Measure: Staff "sometimes" or "never" explained This measure is based on a sample size of 636. Sample data was collected between 04/01/2014 and 03/31/2015 | Patients who reported that staff "Sometimes" or "Never" explained about medicines before giving it to them A lower percentage is better. |
Cleanliness of Hospital Environment
As part of the patient experience survey adult patients recently discharged are asked the following questions about their experiences with hospital’s physical environment. During this hospital stay, how often were your room and bathroom kept clean?
Quietness of Hospital Environment
As part of the patient experience survey adult patients recently discharged are asked the following questions about their experiences with hospital’s noise environment. During this hospital stay, how often was the area around your room quiet at night?
Discharge Information
As part of the patient experience survey adult patients recently discharged are asked the following questions about the discharge information they received. During this hospital stay, did doctors, nurses or other hospital staff talk with you about whether you would have the help you needed when you left the hospital? During this hospital stay, did you get information in writing about what symptoms or health problems to look out for after you left the hospital?
Measure | Hospital Average | How this Hospital Compares |
---|---|---|
Discharge Information Rating | Good Measure: Discharge Information Rating This measure is based on a sample size of 636. Sample data was collected between 04/01/2014 and 03/31/2015 | Discharge information - star rating |
Yes, staff "did" give patients this information | 88% Measure: Yes, staff "did" give patients this information This measure is based on a sample size of 636. Sample data was collected between 04/01/2014 and 03/31/2015 | Patients who reported that YES, they were given information about what to do during their recovery at home A higher percentage is better. |
No, staff "did not" give patients this information | 12% Measure: No, staff "did not" give patients this information This measure is based on a sample size of 636. Sample data was collected between 04/01/2014 and 03/31/2015 | Patients who reported that NO, they were not given information about what to do during their recovery at home A lower percentage is better. |
Transition of Care Information
As part of the patient experience survey adult patients recently discharged are asked the following question about their experience when they left the hospital. The survey asks patients if the hospital took into account any specific preferences. The survey also asks patients if they had a good understanding of how to take any prescribed medications.
Overall Rating of Hospital Experience
The patient experience survey collects information from adult patients who have been recently discharged from the hospital. Patients are asked the following question about their overall inpatient hospital experience on a scale of 0 (worst hospital possible) to 10 (best hospital possible). What number would you use to rate this hospital during your stay?
Measure | Hospital Average | How this Hospital Compares |
---|---|---|
Overall Hospital Rating | Good Measure: Overall Hospital Rating This measure is based on a sample size of 636. Sample data was collected between 04/01/2014 and 03/31/2015 | Overall hospital rating - star rating |
Patients who gave a rating of "9" or "10" (high) | 72% Measure: Patients who gave a rating of "9" or "10" (high) This measure is based on a sample size of 636. Sample data was collected between 04/01/2014 and 03/31/2015 | Patients who gave their hospital a rating of 9 or 10 on a scale from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest) A higher hospital rating percentage is better. |
Patients who gave a rating of "7" or "8" (medium) | 22% Measure: Patients who gave a rating of "7" or "8" (medium) This measure is based on a sample size of 636. Sample data was collected between 04/01/2014 and 03/31/2015 | Patients who gave their hospital a rating of 7 or 8 on a scale from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest) |
Patients who gave a rating of "6" or lower (low) | 6% Measure: Patients who gave a rating of "6" or lower (low) This measure is based on a sample size of 636. Sample data was collected between 04/01/2014 and 03/31/2015 | Patients who gave their hospital a rating of 6 or lower on a scale from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest) A lower percentage is better. |
Willingness to Recommend the Hospital
As part of the patient experience survey adult patients recently discharged are asked the following question about their willingness to recommend the hospital. Would you recommend this hospital to your friends and family?