Feds to display hospital satisfaction ratings in newspaper ads

In an effort to put some money behind its philosophy, the federal government has budgeted about $1.9 million to put full-page ads in newspapers around the U.S. disclosing individual hospital satisfaction rates. The newspaper ads, which are running in 58 newspapers in 49 states, draw their data from CMS's Hospital Compare website (http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov [1]). The patient satisfaction data used in the campaign was released voluntarily by the hospitals in question.

The ads will show responses to two questions: the percentage of patients who always received help when they needed it, and the percentage who received antibiotics one hour before surgery. The second question relates to a measure commonly held to be important in fighting hospital-acquired infections. In addition to listing specific hospital numbers, the ads will list statewide averages for the given survey question.

To learn more about this campaign:
- read this Associated Press article [2]

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