Survey shows patients unhappy with hospitals

Art Nadler

Friday, Feb. 7, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Patients across the nation have given hospitals failing marks, a national survey has concluded.

"Eye on Patients: A Report to the American Public," conducted by the Picker Institute, a nonprofit health care consumer research and consulting company from Boston, found that one in three hospital patients felt they weren't having enough say in their treatment.

The survey, commissioned by the American Hospital Association, also found in part that insurance companies were driving treatment, hospitals weren't educating patients properly on outpatient care before being discharged, emotional support was lacking and, in general, the health-care system was difficult to understand.

Margaret Gerteis, director of communications and education at the Picker Institute, said the problems seem to be related to the health-care system, and not the way medicine is practiced.

The survey relied on questionnaires sent to 37,000 recently discharged hospital patients nationwide. Focus groups were also queried in 12 states. Nevada was not one of the states.

"This is very interesting," said Larry Matheis, executive director of the Nevada State Medical Association. "About five years ago, surveys overwhelmingly showed that people were concerned with the cost of medical care. Now, we have major changes in the system that has moved to managed care (through health maintenance organizations).

"What this report would show is that public concern is more alarming. It shows that the Legislature is correct in taking a look at managed care. Employers must ask more questions and not just shop for the cheapest (HMO) prices, but to ask for quality."

Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, is currently sponsoring a bill in the state Legislature that would revise the way HMOs operate in the state.

In hospitals' defense, Jeanette Belz, president and chief executive officer of the Nevada Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, felt the problem stems from the national desire to reduce medical costs.

"The whole process of trying to reduce costs just keeps putting pressure on hospitals to do more with less," Belz said. "Our hospitals have been working diligently to meet this delicate balance."

Belz said hospitals will always provide care, but insurance companies are the ones setting the limits.

The Picker Institute information was obtained by surveying 23,763 hospital patients and 13,363 clinic and doctor's office patients nationwide. The AHA also interviewed 31 adult groups in the 12 states, totaling 300 people.

Ann Lynch, director of marketing at Columbia Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, doesn't think the Picker Institute data pertains to Las Vegas. She said Sunrise recently scored in the top percentile among more than 100 metropolitan hospitals in a National Research Corp. survey in November.

"We survey patients monthly and randomly," Lynch said. "We find we are not as low (in patient satisfaction) as the national average."

Lynch said Sunrise will look at the Picker Institute survey carefully and be more watchful and cognizant when future surveys are done at the hospital.

"All information is good information," Belz said. "This survey gives us a process to re-evaluate. But I didn't get the sense by talking to anyone in Nevada that these issues are a concern here."

That differs considerably from Gerteis' conclusions. She felt that the Picker Institute data issues were generic across the nation.

And Matheis agreed. He said he would be surprised if Nevada's hospital patients weren't encountering the same problems.

"Purchasers (employers) of health insurance got very smart about price a few years ago," Matheis said. "Now they have to get smart in the type of care being delivered."