Differences in Patient Experience Between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Patients Across U.S. Hospitals

Despite the increased emphasis on patient experience, little is known about whether there are meaningful differences in hospital satisfaction between Hispanic and non-Hispanic whites.

To determine if satisfaction differs, we used Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey data (2009-2010) reported by hospitals to compare responses between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white patients. Clustered logistic regression models identified within-hospital and between-hospital differences in satisfaction.

Of the 3,864,938 respondents, 6.2% were Hispanics, who were more often younger and females and less likely to have graduated from high school. Hispanics were overall more likely to recommend their hospital (74.1% vs. 70.9%, p < .001) and to rate it 9 or 10 (72.5% vs. 65.9%, p < .001) than whites. Increased satisfaction among Hispanics was more pronounced when compared with whites within the same hospitals, with significantly higher ratings on all HCAHPS measures. However, hospitals serving a higher percentage of Hispanics had lower satisfaction scores for both Hispanic and white patients than other hospitals.

There were significant but only modest-sized differences in patient experience between Hispanic and white patients across U.S. hospitals. Hispanics tended to be more satisfied with their care but received care at lower-performing hospitals.