Satisfaction with Care — Inpatient Care

One of the most critical ways that hospitals can assess and improve the quality of the care that they provide to the public is to assess the satisfaction of their patients by directly asking patients what they thought about their hospital experience. We do not take exception to this process.

Currently the most extensive way that we can measure patients' and their family’s experience with us is through the use of formal surveys that are independently administered. Survey results enable us to collect valuable feedback from our patients and take action based on what they say makes a difference to them. All of the indicators or safe practices included in the survey have extensive research to support their use and are defined so that all hospitals can use the same methods for calculating the statistics. This process promotes transparency in reporting and allows the public to make comparisons based on credible data.

Indicators and safe practices are not perfect, however. While useful as a guide, the statistics in the report should not be the sole basis of decision making when selecting a hospital.

Cottage Health System is publicly reporting our patient satisfaction measures because it is an important part of our mission to be a leading healthcare system in California. We are deeply committed to sharing our quality data in an effort to be transparent and to promote the public’s understanding of their healthcare options. We firmly believe in processes of care that are driven by data and based on firm evidence. As a system, we learn from these measures and address our opportunities to improve the care of our patients. Combined with our core values of excellence, integrity and compassion, this emphasis on superior process has the potential to advance all aspects of care in our hospital system.

Inpatient Care

Inpatient care is the safekeeping of patients whose condition requires hospitalization. Inpatients receive both lodging and food in addition to treatment in the hospital.

The following is a report of the average overall patient satisfaction in on a standard set of questions for these hospitalized patients.

	Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital	Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital	Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital
2011 Mean Scores
1st Quarter	86.2	89.0	88.4
Comparative Group Mean Score	84.5	87.3	87.3
2010 Mean Scores
1st Quarter	84.3	86.1	89.5
2nd Quarter	85.3	90.5	90.3
3rd Quarter	86	88.6	91.8
4th Quarter	86.2	90.8	85.1
Comparative Group Mean Score	84.7	87.6	87.6
2009 Mean Scores
1st Quarter	84.4	89.3	94.2
2nd Quarter	84.9	86.9	89.4
3rd Quarter	85.2	88.2	82.4
4th Quarter	83.6	88.2	86.6

Ratings were 0=very poor, 25=poor, 50=fair, 75=good, 100=very good. These averages cannot be compared to results from patient satisfaction surveys other than those conducted by Press Ganey Associates, Inc. Values in bold are higher than the comparative group average. The comparative group average data displayed represents data from the most recent quarter. Smaller facilities generally receive higher ratings than larger facilities.

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