Washington Residents’ Perceptions of Hospitals

1. Washington Residents’Perceptions of Hospitals May 2005 MOORE INFORMATION

2. SurveyMethodology • Sample • 600 interviews among a representative sample of adult residents in Washington State • Method • Telephone interviews conducted May 24-27, 2005 • Sampling error • Plus or minus 4% at the 95% confidence level MOORE INFORMATION

3. Community Responsibility MOORE INFORMATION

4. Hospitals Have a Responsibility to Promote Health Care Beyond Patient Care “In your opinion, how much responsibility do hospitals have in promoting health care beyond taking care of patients?” MOORE INFORMATION

5. Public and Private Hospitals Have Similar Responsibilities to Community “In Washington State, there are both public and private hospitals. Do public hospitals have a broader responsibility in their community than private hospitals, or do both types of hospitals have similar responsibilities?” MOORE INFORMATION

6. Providing Additional Services to the Community Positively Impacts Perceptions of Hospital “Would you feel more favorable or less favorable about your local hospital if you knew they provided additional services such as breast cancer screenings and wellness information to people in the community?” MOORE INFORMATION

7. Evaluating Hospital Quality MOORE INFORMATION

8. Satisfaction with Hospitals is Higher than Satisfaction with Health Care in General MOORE INFORMATION

9. Community Hospitals Hold Their Own with Others in the State “Do you believe the quality of care provided by the hospital or hospitals in your community is better, about the same or worse than most other hospitals in the state?” MOORE INFORMATION

10. Washington State Hospitals Hold Their Own with Those in Other States “Do you believe the quality of care provided by most of the hospitals in Washington State is better, about the same, or worse than hospitals in other states?” MOORE INFORMATION

11. Most Believe Multiple Government Agencies Regulate Washington Hospitals “If you had to make a guess, how many government agencies do you think regulate hospitals in Washington State?” MOORE INFORMATION

12. Confidence in Hospitals Does Not Significantly Increase, Knowing State and Federal Agencies Regulate Hospitals “If you knew that most hospitals are regulated by both state and federal agencies, how much would that increase your confidence in hospitals, a great deal, quite a bit, not too much, or none at all?” MOORE INFORMATION

13. Additional In-House Hospital Programs to Prevent Medical Mistakes Increases Confidence in Hospitals “If a specific hospital had its own program to prevent medical mistakes, in addition to those required by government agencies, how much would that increase your confidence in that hospital?” MOORE INFORMATION

14. Hospital Care Overview MOORE INFORMATION

15. Widespread Satisfaction with Quality of Care Available in Washington Hospitals “Based on what you know or have heard, how satisfied are you with the quality of health care available at most hospitals in Washington State, very satisfied, fairly satisfied, not too satisfied or not at all satisfied?” MOORE INFORMATION

16. Residents are Satisfied with Quality of Care Available in Local Hospitals “Closer to home, how satisfied are you with the quality of care available at the local hospital or hospitals in your community, very satisfied, fairly satisfied, not too satisfied or not at all satisfied?” MOORE INFORMATION

17. Nearly Four-in-Five Say Quality of Hospital Health Care Has Been Steady or Improved “Over the past few years, in the hospitals you are most familiar with, has the quality of health care improved, remained the same, or declined?” MOORE INFORMATION

18. “Quality of Care” is Most Important When Choosing a Hospital “In general, when choosing a hospital, what is most important to you personally?” MOORE INFORMATION

19. Evaluating Hospital Quality -1: Most Important Factors “In evaluating the quality of care at a particular hospital, how important are each of the following factors in determining a hospital’s quality, very important, fairly important, not too important, or not important at all?” MOORE INFORMATION

20. Evaluating Hospital Quality -2: OtherImportant Factors MOORE INFORMATION

21. Personal Hospital Care Experience MOORE INFORMATION

22. A Majority Have Been a Patient in a Washington Hospital in the Past Five Years “In the past five years, have you, or a family member, been a patient in a hospital in Washington State?” MOORE INFORMATION

23. Almost as Many Visited ER as Other Parts of Hospital IF YES: “Was that in the emergency room or another part of the hospital?”(N=484) MOORE INFORMATION

24. Most Were Satisfied with Quality of Health Care They Received at Hospital IF YES: “How satisfied were you with the quality of health care at the hospital, very satisfied, fairly satisfied, not too satisfied, or not at all satisfied?” (N=484) MOORE INFORMATION

25. Information Source Credibility MOORE INFORMATION

26. Most Credible Information Sourcesare Doctors and Nurses “When it comes to evaluating the quality of care in a particular hospital, how much trust do you have in each of the following, a great deal, quite a bit, not too much, or none at all?” MOORE INFORMATION

27. Other Credible Information Sources MOORE INFORMATION

28. News Story Quote Credibility: A Variety of Sources are Credible “How much trust would you have in each of the following if they were quoted in a news story about your hospital, a great deal, quite a bit, not too much, or none at all?” MOORE INFORMATION

29. Summary & Highlights MOORE INFORMATION

30. There is Widespread Satisfaction with the Quality of Health Care and Hospitals in the State • Satisfaction with Washington hospitals is driven by perceptions of good quality care/facilities and positive experiences • People who have been a patient at a Washington hospital are more positive than those who have not • There is no overriding complaint about hospitals in the state among dissatisfied respondents • Long waits, cost, medical errors, lack of staffing, and quality concerns are all mentioned by the few dissatisfied with hospitals in general or with their personal hospital experience MOORE INFORMATION

31. Several Messages Resonate with the General Public • More than 80% agree that hospitals are: • An important source for health care information • Always there when you need them • Sources of jobs and economic development • A good value MOORE INFORMATION

32. Evaluating the Quality of Hospital Care • “Quality of care” is more important in hospital selection than insurance coverage, location, or doctor recommendation • Protecting patients from infections and having a low rate of medical mistakes are the most prominent measurements of quality hospital care for Washingtonians MOORE INFORMATION

33. Public Wants to Know More About Quality and Safety • Public is concerned about medical errors • Knowledge of government regulation of hospitals does not increase confidence • Hospitals should raise awareness of internal programs in place that prevent medical errors and improve hospital quality • Public wants to hear what hospitals are doing on safety and quality MOORE INFORMATION

34. Information Sources • Personal doctors and nurses are the most credible sources of information about hospitals • Experts in reducing medical errors and patients whose lives were saved in a hospital would be the most trustworthy quoted sources for a news story MOORE INFORMATION