HCAHPS Scores = hospital pay

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Not sure if anybody else's facility has started stressing this (I'm sure mine isn't the only one...) but I wanted to see what nurses thought about this change, basically that the HCAHPS scores will determine how much Medicare will pay the hospital.

" Scoring in the Hospital Value Based Purchasing Program will be based on whether a hospital meets or exceeds the performance standards established with respect to the measures. By adopting this program, we will reward hospitals based on actual quality performance on measures, rather than simply reporting data for those measures."

All the articles I find on this are pretty dense... here's the most basic I can find..

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/04/20110429a.html

How do you think this will effect us?

...hmm I was taught in Jr High science class that the ONLY time to use the words "never" or "always" was when you said, NEVER use the word ALWAYS.......

Specializes in PCU.
I will say that yes, it is just Medicare reimburstment, BUT, in my hospital, as many as 70% of our admitted patients are on Medicare. So this is a lot of money we're talking about.

Also, It drives me crazy about the patient satisfaction survey. They ask things like,"How often did your nurse respond to your call light" and "How often was your pain controlled" which ARE important, YES. But from what I understand, the only choices the pt gets are ,"Always, Usually, Never." or something to that extent. Well, as a patient, I would think "usually" would be a good response, but the only the we will get paid for are the "Always" responses.

At least that's how it's been explained at my facility. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong... I love a dose of education. :)

Yes, Always, Usually, Sometimes, and Never are the answer choices. I think it is absurd because of course "Always" is the right answer. Which is all just a scheme becuase NOTHING is ever ALWAYS!

Ugh, this is why I'm more and more disgusted with heathcare and this career. All this government and politics has drove nursing into the ground.

Basically, if you want better scores? Hire more nurses and give us less patients.

The always is an unrealistic answer. The more tasks you pile onto a nurse along with taking away critical resources (e.g., census low, not qualifying for another nurse or a tech gets sent home), the less likely an "always" response is given. Administration seems to not understand that there are patients who require more bedside care than others. Total care patients who have Cdiff along with a possible UTI and are voiding every 5 minutes and need the bedding and gown changed are a lot longer. Taking away the extra resource that was there to help in whatever manner is critically influencing disappointing outcomes. I'm a frustrated nurse with patients' satisfaction tied to HCAP scores. It's just not a realistic situation. Walk in the nurse's shoes for a day and come up with some options that will HELP a nurse attain these scores instead of piling on more tasks that are deemed more important than patient care. Instead of sending home the nurse, keep the nurse to tech or answer phones, call lights. To have a dedicated individual to ALWAYS answer a call light will most definitely improve patient satisfaction. With that satisfaction of ALWAYS comes reimbursement that will more than likely cover the expense of the nurse/tech/secretary, whoever. But when you are in the middle of taking care of your own patients and the call light is going off, how ridiculous is it to leave what you are doing to answer to only not be able to respond appropriately to that call because you have to return to your own patient. Makes no sense nor is it safe. And it will only make your own patients feel like they are not a priority which is not true. There seems to be no answer to HELPING the nurse, just more work we are required to do.

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