Should Medicare Pay Hospitals for Leaving Patients Satisfied?

Medicare started doing something differently in October 2012, as part of the new health care law. It began tethering some of hospitals’ payments to patient satisfaction rankings.

All of the sudden, hospitals could get bonuses if their patients gave them a positive review; clean rooms and attentive nurses became relevant to providers’ bottom lines. Hospitals began making big investments in making their patients happier.

While that might improve patient rankings, a new study suggests it will not improve quality of care: There is little relationship between patient satisfaction and the quality of care they receive.

Read the full story here: http://wapo.st/11uTHVu

Source: The Washington Post