Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

Sign up for the Free Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control E-Weekly at www.beckersasc.com/clinicalquality. 19 Which Hospital Markets Had the Best 2013 Value-Based Purchasing Results? By Jim McLaughlin  ospitals in the Fort Wayne, Ind., region, on average, performed the best on CMS' Value-Based Purchasing Program, which went into effect this year, and Washington, D.C., hospitals collectively scored the worst, according to a regional analysis by Kaiser Health News. H Large markets: The rest of the top 10 hospital regions with at least five hospitals after Fort Wayne are: Greenville, S.C; Newport News, Va.; Boise, Idaho; Florence, S.C.; Bangor, Maine; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Jackson, Tenn.; Portland, Maine; and Charleston, S.C. The Value-Based Purchasing Program rolled out this fiscal year to reward or penalize hospitals for patient satisfaction results and care standards adherence by raising or lowering Medicare payments up to 1 percent. Individual hospitals' results can be searched by region on an interactive chart by KHN. The other low-performing regions with at least five hospitals besides D.C. are: Buffalo and the Bronx, N.Y.; Bakersfield, Calif.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Altoona, Penn.; Hartford, Conn.; Corpus Christi, Texas; Saginaw, Mich.; and Springfield, Mo. All seven D.C.-market hospitals were penalized an average of 0.33 percent of Medicare payments through September 2013. One Fort Wayne-area hospital took a hit, but the other 14 will average a 0.27 percent increase. Small markets: Three of the 92 markets with fewer than five hospitals beat out the large markets on average bonuses:  Bloomington, Ill., Victoria, Texas, and Wilmington, N.C. On the other side of the coin, five small hospital markets will see greater penalties on average than any large market: Grand Forks and Minot, N.D.; Grand Bend and Salem, Ore.; and Oxford, Miss. KHN analyzed 212 hospital referral regions with five or more hospitals and 92 smaller hospital regions for the report. Maryland has a separate payment agreement with CMS and didn't participate in the program; therefore it wasn't included in the analysis. In 16 markets, every hospital received a bonus, and in 20 markets, every hospital received a penalty. By state: Maine, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah and South Carolina reaped the most rewards on average. The District of Columbia, Connecticut, New York, Wyoming and Delaware were slapped the hardest. n 3 Simple Ways Hospitals Can Engage Patients in Their Care By Sabrina Rodak  S uccessfully reducing readmissions and improving patient satisfaction requires hospitals to engage patients in their care. Patients who are involved in decision-making about their health are more likely to understand how to take care of themselves and thus prevent a hospitalization or readmission. Engaged patients also have a greater sense of control and tend to be more satisfied. Here are three simple ways hospitals can engage patients in their care. 1. Educate patients through verbal and written communication. Education is one of the top strategies to engage patients in their care, because patients who are educated about their condition and their choices feel more empowered to partner with healthcare providers in their care. Hospitals should educate patients through multiple modalities, including verbal communication and written instructions. For example, Placentia (Calif.)-Linda Hospital provides a patient guide that includes clinical information, such as the importance of tracking medications, and practical information related to the hospital, such as instructions on adjusting the hospital bed, according to Pam Walrod, director of marketing and community relations at the hospital. 2. Encourage patients to ask questions. Hospitals should also encourage patients to ask questions and discuss their care with their providers. Patients may not ask questions because they are afraid or they don't know what to ask. To overcome these challenges, Placentia-Linda Hospital includes examples of important questions to ask healthcare providers and space for note-taking in its patient guide. 3. Encourage feedback. In addition to providing information to patients, hospitals should also provide channels for patients to make comments about their care. Hospitals can promote patient feedback by directly asking patients about their stay; administering surveys by mail or phone; and establishing patient advisory committees to suggest or comment on changes, among other strategies. Placentia-Linda Hospital has a phone line dedicated to patient satisfaction that patients can use to provide feedback on their care. n REGISTER TODAY! Becker's Hospital Review Annual Meeting CEO Strategy, ACOs, Physician-Hospital Integration, Improving Profits and Key Specialties Co-Chaired by Chuck Lauer and Scott Becker May 9-11, 2013; Chicago Westin Michigan Avenue, Chicago For more information and to register, visit: www.beckershospitalreview.com/4th-annualbeckers-hospital-review-meeting.html

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