Which Hospitals Promote a Sleep-Friendly Patient Experience?

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Experience Research
• Hospital Operations

Background:

• The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey is crucial for determining Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement.
• Patient perception of hospital experience, particularly regarding nighttime quietness, significantly influences HCAHPS scores.
• Improving patient sleep quality is a key objective for enhancing overall hospital care and patient satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify characteristics of hospitals that achieve high scores on the "Quiet at Night" HCAHPS variable.
• To understand the operational and ownership factors associated with superior patient sleep environments.
• To provide insights for lower-scoring hospitals to improve their nighttime quietness and HCAHPS performance.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of HCAHPS survey data, focusing on the "Quiet at Night" domain.
• Identification and characterization of hospitals with top-tier "Quiet at Night" scores.
• Statistical comparison between high-scoring (CMS Top Rated) and benchmark (US News Honor Roll) hospitals.

Main Results:

• CMS Top Rated Hospitals demonstrated a mean "Quiet at Night" score of 5.
• US News Honor Roll Hospitals had a significantly lower mean score of 2.67 (P < .001).
• High-scoring hospitals were predominantly privately owned, specialized surgical facilities with a limited number of beds.

Conclusions:

• Hospital ownership type, specialization, and bed capacity are associated with nighttime quietness and patient sleep quality.
• Specific hospital characteristics facilitate better patient sleep experiences, leading to higher HCAHPS scores.
• Understanding these characteristics can guide quality improvement initiatives for hospitals aiming to enhance patient sleep and reimbursement.