12 CHICAGO AREA HOSPITALS RECEIVE BELOW AVERAGE RANKING FROM CONSUMER REPORTS
Consumer Reports has ranked hospitals across the nation based on patient satisfaction surveys conducted in 2007 and 2008. Twelve Chicago hospitals received ranking below the national average, including: Thorek Memorial Hospital, Mt. Sinai Hospital Medical Center, Sacred Heart Hospital, Provident Hospital Of Chicago, Advocate Trinity Hospital, Norwegian-American Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital, St Bernard Hospital, South Shore Hospital, Roseland Community Hospital, Loretto Hospital and Jackson Park Hospital. Most of these hospitals serve poor areas with limited resources.
The ratings provide a useful resource for anyone who wants information about their local hospital. The Chicago hospitals' low scores are in multiple areas, including staff attentiveness, communication about new medications, room and bathroom cleanliness, quietness, communication with nurses, pain management, and discharge planning. The two areas of greatest concern -- communication about new medications and discharge planning -- are key areas of concern because they directly impact a patient's recovery. Lack of communication about new medications results in drug interaction problems. Ill-planned discharge instructions lead to risk of complications and re-hospitalization.
The Illinois Hospital Association argues that the ratings are misleading since they only focus on patient experiences, not clinical quality care. Nonetheless, the Association says all of the Chicago hospitals on the list have attempted to make patient improvements.
Click here if you would like to see more information on the ranking provided by Consumer Reports for a fee.
