Hospital Consumer Assessment Of Healthcare Providers And Systems Research Articles

When Agency Fails: An Analysis of the Association Between Hospital Agency Staffing and Quality Outcomes.

Staffing is critical to hospital quality, but recent years have seen hospitals grappling with severe shortages, forcing them to rely on contract or agency staff for urgent patient care needs. This shift in staffing mix has raised questions about its impact on quality. Consequently, this study investigated whether the increased use of agency staff has affected healthcare quality in hospitals. Given the limited recent research on this topic, practitioners remain uncertain about the effectiveness of their staffing strategies and their potential impact on quality. Drawing from agency theory, data were obtained from Definitive Healthcare which consolidates information from numerous public access databases pertaining to hospitals such as the American Hospital Association Annual Survey (hospital profile) and the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program (quality data). We conducted a cross-sectional study using a multivariable linear regression model (2021-2022) with appropriate organizational and market- level control variables. Quality was measured across eight variables while the independent variable of interest was agency labor cost ratio operationalized as the percentage of net patient revenue consumed by agency labor expense. Our results suggested that the employment of agency staff was significantly and negatively associated with six of eight quality measures tested, including the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) star rating, Hospital Compare rating, the hospital Total Performance Score (TPS), and three of the four sub-domains that comprise the TPS: clinical domain score, person and community engagement domain score, and the efficiency and cost reduction score. Our results indicated that the increased use of agency labor may have a significant negative influence on quality outcomes at the hospital level. Our findings support the premise that interventions that promote full-time staffing may be more supportive of the quality of care delivered as well as patients' perceptions of care.

Trends in HCAHPS Survey Scores, 2008-2019: A Quality Improvement Perspective.

HCAHPS' 2008 initial public reporting, 2012 inclusion in the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program (HVBP), and 2015 inclusion in Hospital Star Ratings were intended to improve patient experiences. Characterize pre-COVID-19 (2008-2019) trends in hospital consumer assessment of healthcare providers and systems (HCAHPS) scores. Describe HCAHPS score trends overall, by phase: (1) initial public reporting period (2008-2013), (2) first 2 years of HVBP (2013-2015), and (3) initial HCAHPS Star Ratings reporting (2015-2019); and by hospital characteristics (HCAHPS decile, ownership, size, teaching affiliation, and urban/rural). A total of 3909 HCAHPS-participating US hospitals. HCAHPS summary score (HCAHPS-SS) and 9 measures. The mean 2007-2019 HCAHPS-SS improvement in most-positive-category ("top-box") responses was +5.2 percentage points/pp across all hospitals (where differences of 5pp, 3pp, and 1pp are "large," "medium," and "small"). Improvement rate was largest in phase 1 (+0.8/pp/year vs. +0.2pp/year and +0.1pp/year for phases 2 and 3, respectively). Improvement was largest for Overall Rating of Hospital (+8.5pp), Discharge Information (+7.3pp), and Nurse Communication (+6.5pp), smallest for Doctor Communication (+0.8pp). Some measures improved notably through phases 2 and 3 (Nurse Communication, Staff Responsiveness, Overall Rating of Hospital), but others slowed or reversed in Phase 3 (Communication about Medicines, Quietness). Bottom-decile hospitals improved more than other hospitals for all measures. All HCAHPS measures improved rapidly 2008-2013, especially among low-performing (bottom-decile) hospitals, narrowing the range of performance and improving scores overall. This initial improvement may reflect widespread, general quality improvement (QI) efforts in lower-performing hospitals. Subsequent slower improvement following the introduction of HVBP and Star Ratings may have reflected targeted, resource-intensive QI in higher-performing hospitals.

Assessment of Patient Satisfaction With Inpatient Services Provided at an Acute Care Facility: A Quality Improvement Project.

Hospitals across the United States use patient satisfaction surveys to assess the quality of inpatient and outpatient services provided to patients when they interact with the healthcare system. Results from this survey are used as input to identify weaknesses in the system with the intention of providing appropriate intervention. Here, we report the results of the quality improvement project completed in an acute healthcare facility. Patient satisfaction was evaluated based on indices established by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). Responses from 400 patients admitted into the hospital between July 2022 and June 2023 were obtained using a pre-designed questionnaire prepared by HCAHPS on behalf of Prime Healthcare Services. Indices of assessment include doctor-patient interaction, nurse-patient interaction, hospital responsiveness to patient needs, hospital environment, communication about medicine, discharge information, transition of care, overall assessment, and willingness to recommend. The best hospital performance was seen in the dissemination of discharge information, while the worst performance was noted in the transition of care and communication about medicine. Appropriate recommendations were made to improve on these weak areas.

Investigating patient engagement associations between a postdischarge texting programme and patient experience, readmission and revisit rates outcomes

ObjectivesThis study aimed (1) to examine the association between patient engagement with a bidirectional, semiautomated postdischarge texting programme and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey outcomes,...

Survey Protocols, Response Rates, and Representation of Underserved Patients

Surveys often underrepresent certain patients, such as underserved patients. Methods that improve their response rates (RRs) would help patient surveys better represent their experiences and assess equity and equity-targeted quality improvement efforts. To estimate the effect of adding an initial web mode to existing Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey protocols and extending the fielding period on RR and representativeness of underserved patient groups. This randomized clinical trial included 36 001 patients discharged from 46 US hospitals from May through December 2021. Data analysis was performed from May 2022 to September 2023. Patients were randomized to 1 of 6 survey protocols: 3 standard HCAHPS protocols (mail only, phone only, mail-phone) plus 3 web-enhanced protocols (web-mail, web-phone, web-mail-phone). RR and number of respondents per 100 survey attempts (yield) were calculated and compared for each of the 6 survey protocols, overall, and by patient age, service line, sex, and race and ethnicity. A total of 34 335 patients (median age range, 55-59 years; 59.3% female individuals and 40.7% male individuals) were eligible and included in the study. Of the respondents, 6.9% were Asian American or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 0.7% were American Indian or Alaska Native, 11.5% were Black, 17.4% were Hispanic, 61.0% were White, and 2.6% were multiracial. Of the 6 protocols, RRs were highest in web-mail-phone (36.5%), intermediate for the 3 two-mode survey protocols (mail-phone, web-mail, web-phone, 30.3%-31.1%), and lowest for the 2 single-mode protocols (mail only, phone only, 22.1%-24.3%). Web-mail-phone resulted in the highest yield for 3 racial and ethnic groups (Black, Hispanic, and White patients) and second highest for another (multiracial patients). Otherwise, the highest or second highest yield was almost always a 2-mode protocol. Mail only was the lowest-yield protocol for Black, Hispanic, and multiracial patients and phone-only was the lowest-yield protocol for White patients; these 2 protocols tied for lowest-yield for Asian American or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander patients. Gains from multimode approaches were often 2 to 3 times as large for Asian American or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, and multiracial patients as for White patients. Web-mail-phone had the highest RR for 6 of 8 age groups and 4 of 5 combinations of service line and sex. In this randomized clinical trial, web-first multimode survey protocols significantly improved the RR and representativeness of patient surveys. The best-performing protocol based on RR and representativeness was web-mail-phone. Web-phone performed well for young and diverse patient populations, and web-mail for older and less diverse patient populations. The US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will allow hospitals to use the web-mail, web-phone, and web-mail-phone protocols for HCAHPS administration beginning in 2025.

Interventions and Hospital Characteristics Associated With Patient Experience: An Update of the Evidence.

Patient experience is a key hospital quality measure. We review and characterize the literature on interventions, care and management processes, and structural characteristics associated with better inpatient experiences as measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. Prior reviews identified several promising interventions. We update these previous efforts by including more recent peer-reviewed literature and expanding the review's scope to include observational studies of HCAHPS measures with process measures and structural characteristics. We used PubMed to identify U.S. English-language peer-reviewed articles published in 2017 to 2020 and focused on hospital patient experience. The two HCAHPS domains for which we found the fewest potential quality improvement interventions were Communication with Doctors and Quietness. We identified several modifiable processes that could be rigorously evaluated in the future, including electronic health record patient engagement functionality, care management processes, and nurse-to-patient ratios. We describe implications for future policy, practice, and research.

Effect of chair placement on physicians’ behavior and patients’ satisfaction: randomized deception trial

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of chair placement on length of time physicians sit during a bedside consultation and patients’ satisfaction.DesignSingle center, double blind, randomized controlled deception trial.SettingCounty hospital in Texas,...

Heart failure management at home: a non-randomised prospective case–controlled trial (HeMan at Home)

Background/objectivesHeart failure (HF) is a growing clinical and economic burden for patients and health systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to avoidance and delay in care, resulting in increased morbidity...

Barriers to Elderly Health Care in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

This study examined different barriers to the access and utilization of primary health care services by the elderly in the occupied Palestinians territories. We collected quantitative data from a larger convenience sample of a national survey of 1299 persons in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) that examined the effects of Israel's colonization and its effects on health care delivery between October 2021 and February 2022. The research tool was based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) questionnaire. The data was obtained from 76 elderly participants with a mean age of 68.33 years standard deviation (SD = 7.09 years). The majority (75%) reported having at least one chronic health issue and having limited access to health care. They had all finished at least six years of education. The participants claimed having health insurance, while 47.4 percent reported paying for out-of-pocket expenses and medical care was a burden. Access and affordability of health care was a problem for 70 percent of participants. Older persons and their families face access to care issues created by political, geographic, and economic barriers. Poor incomes, war-like conditions, a weak health care system, and a lack of comprehensive care delivery all impact their health.

Informal carers' experiences with their children's care during hospitalization in Italy: Child HCAHPS results from RN4CAST@IT-Ped cross-sectional study

PurposeTo examine informal carers' experiences during their child's hospitalization and evaluate the associations with care received and care context. Design and methodsWhat is described in this article is only a part of the larger study, RN4CAST@IT-Ped, a multicenter cross-sectional study, with multi-level data collection through convenience sampling, the Child Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey was used to collect data from informal carers of pediatric patients, applying the “top box” approach. ResultsNine hospitals, 1472 nurses, and 635 children's parents were involved. A correlation was found between patient safety and satisfaction outcomes and nursing staff characteristics. Adequate workloads for nurses improved carers' assessment of their experience in the hospital. ConclusionAdequate staffing management could significantly improve informal carers' satisfaction with the care provided to their children during hospitalization. Practice implicationsChildren's informal carers greatly value the care they receive in pediatric hospitals. Adequate workloads for nurses improve carers' overall evaluation of the care their children receive during hospitalization. Nursing management should consider improving these aspects to ensure high-quality care in children's hospitals.

Impacts of an Acute Care Telenursing Program on Discharge, Patient Experience, and Nursing Experience: Retrospective Cohort Comparison Study.

Despite widespread growth of televisits and telemedicine, it is unclear how telenursing could be applied to augment nurse labor and support nursing. This study evaluated a large-scale acute care telenurse (ACTN) program to support web-based admission and discharge processes for hospitalized patients. A retrospective, observational cohort comparison was performed in a large academic hospital system (approximately 2100 beds) in Houston, Texas, comparing patients in our pilot units for the ACTN program (telenursing cohort) between June 15, 2022, and December 31, 2022, with patients who did not participate (nontelenursing cohort) in the same units and timeframe. We used a case mix index analysis to confirm comparable patient cases between groups. The outcomes investigated were patient experience, measured using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems (HCAHCPS) survey; nursing experience, measured by a web-based questionnaire with quantitative multiple-choice and qualitative open-ended questions; time of discharge during the day (from electronic health record data); and duration of discharge education processes. Case mix index analysis found no significant case differences between cohorts (P=.75). For the first 4 units that rolled out in phase 1, all units experienced improvement in at least 4 and up to 7 HCAHCPS domains. Scores for "communication with doctors" and "would recommend hospital" were improved significantly (P=.03 and P=.04, respectively) in 1 unit in phase 1. The impact of telenursing in phases 2 and 3 was mixed. However, "communication with doctors" was significantly improved in 2 units (P=.049 and P=.002), and the overall rating of the hospital and the "would recommend hospital" scores were significantly improved in 1 unit (P=.02 and P=04, respectively). Of 289 nurses who were invited to participate in the survey, 106 completed the nursing experience survey (response rate 106/289, 36.7%). Of the 106 nurses, 101 (95.3%) indicated that the ACTN program was very helpful or somewhat helpful to them as bedside nurses. The only noticeable difference between the telenursing and nontelenursing cohorts for the time of day discharge was a shift in the volume of patients discharged before 2 PM compared to those discharged after 2 PM at a hospital-wide level. The ACTN admissions averaged 12 minutes and 6 seconds (SD 7 min and 29 s), and the discharges averaged 14 minutes and 51 seconds (SD 8 min and 10 s). The average duration for ACTN calls was 13 minutes and 17 seconds (SD 7 min and 52 s). Traditional cohort standard practice (nontelenursing cohort) of a bedside nurse engaging in discharge and admission processes was 45 minutes, consistent with our preimplementation time study. This study shows that ACTN programs are feasible and associated with improved outcomes for patient and nursing experience and reducing time allocated to admission and discharge education.

The effect of patient quality measurements and HCAHPS patient satisfaction on hospital reimbursements

BACKGROUND: The Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) links hospital reimbursements to quality metrics. Likewise, the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) program offers financial incentives to acute-care hospitals based on performance improvements on several quality measures included in the national Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. A research gap exists with regard to assessing the effectiveness of VBP incentives on improving the patient’s quality of care. OBJECTIVE: This study is to determine whether hospitals which reported better patient quality metrics and lower frequency of pressure sores received higher reimbursements. METHODS: The data were retrieved from the CMS Care Compare website utilizing matched data from 2297 US hospitals. Information on HCAHPS, the VBP Program in Patient Safety Index, and Reimbursements was obtained for this study. Partial Least Square (PLS) was utilized thru SmartPLS 3.0 to test the hypotheses. RESULTS: The results did not reveal any financial penalties when hospitals reported lower patient quality outcomes and increased numbers of pressure sores. However, lower patient quality measures were associated with lower patient satisfaction. Controversially, lower patient satisfaction scores were associated with higher reimbursement rates overall. CONCLUSIONS: The main contribution of this study reveals that the effectiveness of value-based reimbursements and the concept of continuous improvement is constrained due to the lack of unified measurement objectives across US healthcare institutions.

Experiences of Palestinian patients with hospital services: a mixed-methods study

BackgroundThis study aimed at assessing patient experiences with hospital services and key factors associated with better experiences.MethodsThe study design is cross-sectional supported by qualitative interviews. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of...

Budgetary investment in evidence-based practice by chief nurses and stronger EBP cultures are associated with less turnover and better patient outcomes.

Hospitals and healthcare systems strive to meet benchmarks for the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicator (NDNQI) measures, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Core Measures, and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) outcome indicators. Prior research indicates that Chief Nursing Officers and Executives (CNOs, CNEs) believe that evidence-based practice (EBP) is important for ensuring the quality of care, but they allocate little funding to its implementation and report it as a low priority in their healthcare system. It is not known how EBP budget investment by chief nurses affects NDNQI, CMS Core Measures, and HCAHPS indicators or key EBP attributes and nurse outcomes. This study aimed to generate evidence on the relationships among the budget devoted to EBP by chief nurses and its impact on key patient and nurse outcomes along with EBP attributes. A descriptive correlational design was used. An online survey was sent to CNO and CNE members (N = 5026) of various national and regional nurse leader professional organizations across the United States in two recruitment rounds. Data collected included CNO/CNE EBP Beliefs, EBP Implementation, and perceived organizational culture of EBP; organizational culture, structure, personnel, and resources for EBP; percent of budget dedicated to EBP; key performance measures (NDNQI, CMS Core Measures, HCAHPS); nurse satisfaction; nurse turnover; and demographic questions. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize sample characteristics. Kendall's Tau correlation coefficients were calculated among EBP budget, nursing outcome measures, and EBP measures. One hundred and fifteen CNEs/CNOs completed the survey (a 2.3% response rate). The majority (60.9%) allocated <5% of their budget to EBP, with a third investing none. An increase in EBP budget was associated with fewer patient falls and trauma, less nursing turnover, and stronger EBP culture and other positive EBP attributes. A greater number of EBP projects were also associated with better patient outcomes. Chief nurse executives and CNOs allocate very little of their budgets to EBP. When CNEs and CNOs invest more in EBP, patient, nursing, and EBP outcomes improve. System-wide implementation of EBP, which includes appropriate EBP budget allocation, is necessary for improvements in hospital quality indicators and nursing turnover.

Effect of a Pharmacist-Led Discharge Counseling Service at a Children's Hospital.

To evaluate the effect of a pharmacist-led discharge counseling service at a pediatric hospital. This was a prospective observational cohort study. Patients in the pre-implementation phase were identified by the pharmacist at the time of admission medication reconciliation, whereas patients in the pos-timplementation phase were identified at the time of pharmacist discharge medication counselling. Caregivers were contacted within 2 weeks of the patients' discharge date to complete a 7-question telephone survey. The primary objective was to measure the effect of the pharmacist-led service on caregiver satisfaction, using a pre- and post- implementation telephone survey. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the effect of the service on 90-day medication-related readmissions and determine the change in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey response (Question 25) regarding discharge medications following implementation of the new service. A total of 32 caregivers were included in both the pre- and post-implementation groups. The most common reason for inclusion was high-risk medications (84%) in the pre-implementation group and device teaching (62.5%) in the post-implementation group. The primary outcome, the average composite score on the telephone survey, was 30.94 ± 3.50 (average ± SD) in the pre-implementation group and 32.5 ± 2.26 in the post-implementation group (p = 0.038). There were no medication-related readmissions within 90 days in either group. The score on HCAHPS Question 25 was not different between groups (p = 0.761). Implementation of a pharmacist-led discharge counseling service in pediatric patients improved caregiver satisfaction and understanding as shown by a postdischarge telephone survey.

Association between the nurse work environment and patient experience in Chilean hospitals: A multi-hospital cross-sectional study.

International evidence shows that nurses' work environments affect patient outcomes, including their care experiences. In Chile, several factors negatively affect the work environment, but they have not been addressed in prior research. The aim of this study was to measure the quality of the nurse work environment in Chilean hospitals and its association with patient experience. A cross-sectional study of 40 adult general high-complexity hospitals across Chile. Participants included bedside nurses (n=1632) and patients (n=2017) in medical or surgical wards, who responded to a survey. The work environment was measured through the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index. Hospitals were categorized as having a good or poor work environment. A set of patient experience outcomes were measured through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. Adjusted logistic regression models were used to test associations between the environment and patient experiences. For all outcomes, the percentage of patients satisfied was higher in hospitals with good as compared to poor work environments. In good environment hospitals patients had significantly higher odds of being satisfied with communication with nurses (OR 1.46, 95% CI: 1.10-1.94, p=0.010), with pain control (OR 1.52, 95% CI: 1.14-2.02, p=0.004), and with nurses' timely responses in helping them to go to the bathroom (OR 2.17, 95% CI: 1.49-3.16, p < 0.0001). Hospitals with good environments outperform hospitals with poor environments in most patient care experience indicators. Efforts to improve nurses' work environment hold promise for improving patient experiences in Chilean hospitals. Hospital administrators and nurse managers should value, especially in the context of financial constraints and understaffing, the implementation of strategies to improve the quality of nurses´ work environments so that they can provide patients with a better care experience.

Developing an Inpatient Relationship Centered Communication Curriculum (I-RCCC) rounding framework for surgical teams

BackgroundMorning rounds by an acute care surgery (ACS) service at a level one trauma center are uniquely demanding, given the fast pace, high acuity, and increased patient volume. These demands notwithstanding, communication remains integral to the success of surgical teams. Yet there are limited published curricula that address trauma inpatient communication needs. Observations at our institution confirmed that the surgical team lacked a shared mental model for communication. We hypothesized that creating a relationship-centered rounding conceptual framework model would enhance the provider-patient experience.Study designA mixed-methods approach was used for this study. A multi-pronged needs assessment was conducted. Provider communion items for Press Ganey and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) surveys were used to measure patients’ expressed needs. Faculty with experience in relationship-centered communication observed morning rounds and documented demonstrated behaviors. A five-hour workshop was designed based on the identified needs. A pre-and post-course Assessment and course evaluation were conducted. Provider-related patient satisfaction items were measured six months before the course and six months after the workshop.ResultsNeeds assessment revealed a lack of a shared communication framework and a lack of leadership skills for senior trauma residents. Barriers included: time constraints, patient load, and interruptions during rounds. The curriculum was very well received. The self-reflected behaviors that demonstrated the most dramatic change between the pre and post-workshop surveys were: I listened without interrupting; I spoke clearly and at a moderate pace; I repeated key points; and I checked that the patient understood. All these changed from being performed by 50% of respondents “about half of the time” to 100% of them “always”. Press Ganey top box likelihood to recommend (LTR) and provider-related top box items showed a trend towards improvement after implementing the training with a percentage difference of up to 20%.ConclusionThe Inpatient Relationship Centered Communication Curriculum (I-RCCC) targeting senior residents and Nurse Practitioners (NP) was feasible, practical, and well-received by participants. There was a trend of an increase in LTRs and provider-specific patient satisfaction items. This curriculum will be refined based on the study results and potentially scalable to other surgical specialties.

Evidence-Based Performance Indicators of Positive Inpatient Experiences.

Patient experiences affect the competitiveness and financial viability of a hospital. The purpose of this research was to ascertain the factors that contribute to positive inpatient experiences by using empirical evidence from national databases and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey data. Data were assembled from four publicly available U.S. government datasets. The HCAHPS national survey responses (n = 2,472) were based on four consecutive quarters of patient surveys. Measures of clinical complications obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services were used to assess hospital quality. Social determinants of health were incorporated into the analysis by including data from the Social Vulnerability Index as well as zip code-level information from the Office of Policy Development and Research. The study results show that hospital quietness, nurse communication, and care transition positively affected patient experience ratings and the patient's likelihood to recommend the hospital. In addition, findings show that hospital cleanliness positively influenced patient experience ratings. However, hospital cleanliness had little impact on the likelihood of a patient's recommending the hospital, and staff responsiveness had a negligible impact on both patient experience ratings and the likelihood to recommend the hospital. The results also revealed that hospitals with better clinical outcomes received better patient experience ratings and recommendation scores, whereas hospitals that serve more vulnerable populations received worse patient experience ratings and recommendation scores. Findings from this research demonstrate that managing the physical surroundings by providing a clean and quiet environment, providing relationship-centered care through interactions with medical personnel, and working to engage patients in their health as they transition out of care contributed to positive inpatient experiences.

PATIENTS SATISFACTION WITH DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY SERVICES AT RADIOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT OF BR?KO HEALTH CENTAR

Aim of research: The satisfaction of proffering radiological health care contributes to the improvement and quality of health care in health care institutions, especially in the extraordinary situations, such as the viral Coronavirus disease infection where patients are being treated under special conditions. Very often, the problem regarding the understanding among the patients and the healthcare workers can occur. The primary purpose of the research is to determine the contentment of infected Covid-19 patients with the provided service of the radiological diagnostics department as well as the healthcare workers and medical radiology engineers.Materials and methods: The study was conducted at the Public Health Institution „Br?ko District Health Center“( Dispensary for lung diseases) and TBC (ATD). The number of participants was 700 (n=700). The research was conducted during the months of May, June and July (2020.). The questionnaire consisted of 19 questions, , six of which regarded the sociodemographic information, and the remaining 13 research questions were done according to a Likert-type scale (1- strongly disagree, 2- disagree, 3- neither agree nor disagree, 4- agree, 5- strongly agree). Laschinger's customized and standardized questionnaire called HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems), a questionnaire about the patient's contentment with the quality of health care, was used for the purpose of research analysis (1). The Pearson correlation coefficient and the ANOVA test were used for statistical data processing.Results: The given results have shown that the patients rated the quality of health care with a number 4 which indicates that they are satisfied with the provided quality. When asked about level of adequate care during their imaging, patients were less satisfied with nurses and technicians in comparison to the medical radiology engineers.Conclusion: The obtained results can contribute to a better understanding of patients as well as the improvement of health systems in the form of new health care reforms, as well as to make progress in educating health workers how to communicate with patients.Key words: SARS-CoV-2 virus, radiological diagnostics, satisfaction with the provided health care, quality of health care.

Patient Experience Coordinator

The aim of this study was to test the impact of an innovative nonclinical support role to improve patient experiences while supporting nurse work on inpatient units. On the basis of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Care Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, patients' experience declined nationally during the COVID-19 pandemic. A nonclinical support role, titled an Experience Coordinator, was created as a test of change to collaborate with care teams and respond to patients' and families' nonclinical needs. This is a quality improvement (QI) project for a supportive role development and implementation. The health system's HCAHPS data were compared before and after the role was tested on 3 inpatient units. The HCAHPS data indicated that 5 of the 10 domains' top box ratings increased during the QI project month compared with the previous month. The study findings may support the implementation of new innovative nonclinical positions to alleviate nurses' workload and promote patients' hospital experience.