Hospital-acquired conditions after orthopedic surgery do not affect patient satisfaction scores.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine whether development of a hospital-acquired condition (HAC) affected responses to Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey questions. HCAHPS is a national, standardized satisfaction survey. Patient responses form, in part, the basis for Medicare reimbursement to hospitals via the value-based purchasing system established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Bundling the value of discharge telephone calls and leader rounding.

Discharge telephone calls made by hospital staff provide invaluable opportunities to prevent adverse events, improve quality of care, and increase patient satisfaction. Similarly, the effect of rounding on patients can improve clinical quality and improve both patient and staff satisfaction. The author discusses how the combination of implementing both nurse leader rounding and discharge telephone calls simultaneously produced powerful positive outcomes in satisfaction and patient quality of care.