Patient isolation for infection control and patient experience

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Experience Research
• Infectious Disease Control

Background:

• Hospitalized patients in isolation often experience increased anxiety and loneliness.
• Isolation status may negatively impact patient experience and communication.
• Previous studies suggest fewer physician encounters and room entries for isolated patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of isolation status on patient experience scores, particularly communication.
• To analyze Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey data related to isolation.
• To determine if isolation adversely affects patient-reported outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of HCAHPS survey results over five years at a tertiary-care academic medical center.
• Comparison of patients in isolation for at least 50% of their stay versus those never in isolation.
• Multivariable logistic regression adjusting for demographic and clinical factors to assess associations between isolation and top-box experience scores.

Main Results:

• Patients in isolation reported worse experiences with staff responsiveness (e.g., help with toileting) and overall care ratings.
• No significant difference in experience was reported for most communication domains.
• No dose-response effect was observed, suggesting isolation may be a marker for other factors.

Conclusions:

• While most communication aspects were unaffected, isolated patients experienced poorer staff responsiveness for time-sensitive needs.
• Isolation status itself may not be the sole driver of negative experiences; illness severity could be a confounding factor.
• Hospitals should prioritize timely staff response to improve the experience of isolated patients.