At the Intersection of Patient Experience Data, Outcomes Research, and Practice: Analysis of HCAHPS Scores in Neurology Patients.

OBJECTIVE

To assess variation in patient-reported experience in inpatient neurology patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively identified 1045 patients 18 years and older admitted to a neurology service and discharged from January 1, 2013, through September 30, 2016, who completed Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated the associations of patient factors with HCAHPS measures. Key driver analysis identified associations between HCAHPS measures and the Global score (combination of 0-10 hospital rating and likelihood to recommend). Multivariable logistic regression compared HCAHPS scores between neurology patients and those admitted to a neurosurgery (n=2190) or internal medicine (n=3401) service during the same period.

RESULTS

Among patients admitted to a neurology service, overall (summary) scores did not vary significantly by diagnosis after adjustment for age, education, and overall health, but patients with neurologic diagnoses other than stroke, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative disease were more likely to report lower Pain Management scores compared with patients with cancer. Key driver analysis showed Care Transition scores as drivers of the Global score. After adjustment, general internal medicine service patients were more likely to report low Summary scores and neurosurgery service patients were significantly less likely to report low Summary scores compared with neurology service patients.

CONCLUSION

Efforts to improve how neurology patients experience their care should be aimed at targeting patients' perceptions of pain management, and improving care transitions is an important first-priority target for improvement. This analysis may help other institutions improve hospital rating, value-based payments, and patient-centered outcomes.