The Influence of Pathway to Excellence® Designation on Patient Satisfaction

This study investigated the association of Pathway to Excellence® (Pathway) status with patient satisfaction.

The Pathway program recognizes hospitals committed to fostering optimal practice environments, yet research on its impact on patient satisfaction is limited.

This cross-sectional study linked 3 datasets: the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, the American Nurses Credentialing Center® Pathway and Magnet® organizations, and the American Hospital Association Annual Survey. The primary analysis included 2721 non-Magnet hospitals (2588 without Pathway status, 133 with Pathway status). The secondary analysis included 606 hospitals (473 Magnet, 133 Pathway). Outcomes included hospital rating and willingness to recommend the hospital. Propensity score-weighted simple linear regression estimated outcome differences.

Compared with hospitals without Pathway or Magnet status, Pathway hospitals had significantly higher patient ratings and recommendations. No significant differences were found between Pathway and Magnet hospitals for either patient satisfaction outcome.

Pathway designation and thus the journey to achieve this designation may be an effective strategy for improving patient satisfaction.