Differences in Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Scores for a Single Surgeon Comparing Two Institutions: An Unfair Reimbursement Metric

Abstract

BackgroundEmphasis on value-based purchasing links physician financial remuneration to patient-derived outcome scores. Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys aim to provide a uniform comparison tool. Of the 22 different survey questions, only 3 (13.6%) focus on experience related to doctors. We sought to determine how HCAHPS scores differ for a single surgeon performing more than 500 total joint arthroplasties annually, divided almost equally between two centers. MethodsHCAHPS data from 2015 to 2018 for a single, fellowship-trained arthroplasty surgeon were collected from two different hospitals. More than 200 cases were performed at each center with the same staff. One center is a large metropolitan academic-teaching hospital, and the other is a suburban private hospital. The purpose of the study was to determine if differences existed regarding HCHAPS scores between the two institutions. ResultsA significant difference was found between institutions regarding questions pertaining to “hospital environment,” “admission process,” and “hospital staff concern for pain,” with more patients responding favorably in Institution Two than Institution One. ConclusionPatient perceptions and ratings of overall experience differ significantly between hospitals even when surgery is performed by a single surgeon. These results lend credence to the fact that surgeons should not be unduly penalized for the hospital in which they operate, and financial remuneration involving HCAHPS scores must be approached with caution. This unfair system could potentially drive surgeons to perform the majority of their cases in the hospital system with higher scores in the nonphysician related domains as this would affect overall patient satisfaction, and thus, financial compensation.