PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Health last week released the results of the first annual statewide survey of patient satisfaction with home health care in the state, which found overall satisfaction averaged 90 out of 100 points, similar to the results for a national sample.
The survey covered more than 2,500 patients served by 49 home health agencies; the national sample covered 420 health agencies. Rhode Island is the first state to collect such data, officials said.
Rhode Island patients were most satisfied with the services they received from therapists, the survey found – such as physical, speech, and occupational therapists and social workers (93 points out of 100). They were least satisfied with office staff (85 points out of 100).
“This first home health care survey is one more tool we now have to measure customer satisfaction with long-term care,” said Dr. David R. Gifford, the state health director, in a news release. “The survey gives the public information to make the right choices about their care and lets home health agencies know what they can be doing better to address the needs of their clients.”
Also last week, the Health Department issued a report on health agencies’ performance on 11 clinical measures, such as the percentage of patients who get better at walking or moving around; who have less pain when moving around; whose bladder control improves; who are short of breath less often; and who had to be admitted to a hospital.
The reports are available on the Health Care Quality Program Web site, at www.health.ri.gov.
The two reports combined are meant to help consumers choose a home health agency. They were produced with data compiled by the survey firm Press Ganey Associates of Indiana, which also compiled the national data.
The reports were created for the Health Care Quality Performance Measurement and Reporting Program, which was set up by state law in 1998. The legislation requires public reporting of clinical performance measures and patient satisfaction for all Rhode Island licensed health care facilities and providers.
Along with the home health agencies and the Department of Health, the project involved the Rhode Island Partnership for Home Care and Quality Partners of Rhode Island.
