Predictors of Hospital Patient Satisfaction as Measured by HCAHPS: A Systematic Review.

Because Medicare reimbursements are now, in part, based on patient satisfaction scores, hospitals are increasingly concerned about improving patient satisfaction. However, little is known about the different characteristics that are associated with higher patient satisfaction. This study was conducted to systematically review the patient satisfaction literature and to identify predictors of patient satisfaction based on measures from the HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey.

Trends in governance structure and activities among not-for-profit U.S. hospitals: 2009-2015.

Background: In U.S. hospitals, boards of directors (BODs) have numerous governance responsibilities including overseeing hospital activities and guiding strategic decisions.

Does electronic health record use improve hospital financial performance? Evidence from panel data.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of electronic health record (EHR) adoption on hospital financial performance.

Methodology/approach: We constructed a longitudinal panel using data from the three secondary sources: (a) the 2007-2010 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey, (b) the 2007-2010 AHA Annual Survey Information Technology Supplement, and (c) the 2007-2011 Medicare Cost Reports from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Because potential financial benefits attributable to EHR adoption may take some time to accrue, we ran regressions with lags of 1 and 2 years that included hospital and year fixed effects to examine the relationship between the level of EHR adoption and three hospital financial performance measures.

Management involvement on the board of directors and hospital financial performance.

Agency theory is used to investigate the relationship between top management team involvement on not-for-profit hospitals' boards of directors (BODs) and hospital financial performance. Governance data collected in 2011 by The Governance Institute was merged with hospital financial performance data from the 2011 Medicare Cost Reports. Then, an ordinary least squares regression model, using propensity score adjustments, was used to evaluate the relationship between management involvement on the BOD and three financial performance profitability ratios: total margin, operating margin, and return on assets.

Benefits and drawbacks of electronic health record systems.

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 that was signed into law as part of the "stimulus package" represents the largest US initiative to date that is designed to encourage widespread use of electronic health records (EHRs). In light of the changes anticipated from this policy initiative, the purpose of this paper is to review and summarize the literature on the benefits and drawbacks of EHR systems. Much of the literature has focused on key EHR functionalities, including clinical decision support systems, computerized order entry systems, and health information exchange.