Hospital-Acquired Conditions After Orthopedic Surgery Do Not Affect Patient Satisfaction Scores

Abstract

Performance on HCAHPS is an area that demands hospital attention both to provide patient-centered care and to maximize revenue. Development of an HAC was not associated with decreased satisfaction scores in a population of orthopedic surgery patients at a private, university-affiliated specialty center. The lack of any statistically significant difference in patient satisfaction may be attributable to patient satisfaction with care in response to complications, the decreased sensitivity inherent to using a general satisfaction survey, or a homogeneity among orthopedic surgery patients and their expectations of care.

The application of Lean Six Sigma methodology to reduce the risk of healthcare–associated infections in surgery departments

“…Currently, the monitoring and prevention of HAIs represents a priority for the healthcare sector, and reducing the incidence of HAIs is a quality indicator of the services provided . Surgical site infections are one of the most investigated issues in healthcare …”

“…4 Surgical site infections are one of the most investigated issues in healthcare. [5][6][7] Some of the most common tools for reducing the risk of infection in healthcare are surveillance, epidemiological guidelines, procedures, and training of healthcare personnel. 4,8 The University Hospital "Federico II" of Naples (Italy) currently adopts, in line with the recommendations suggested by the literature as well as national and regional legislation, an integrated strategy of actions to monitor and prevent HAIs.…”

Reducing the risk of healthcare‐associated infections through Lean Six Sigma: The case of the medicine areas at the Federico II University Hospital in Naples (Italy)

“…In Europe, losses include an estimated €7 billion in direct costs alone and an extra 16 million hospital stay days; in the USA, the corresponding cost is $6.5 billion. 5 Healthcare-associated infections are therefore widely investigated in healthcare, [8][9][10] and research has revealed correlations between certain viral infections and bacteria in various pathologies. 11,12 Several factors cause HAIs, some of which are related to prolonged and inappropriate use of invasive devices and antibiotics, insufficient application of standard and isolation precautions, inadequate environmental hygiene, poor infrastructure, insufficient equipment, lack of standardized procedures, and the absence of local and national guidelines and policies.…”

Nature’s wrath—The effect of weather on pain following orthopaedic trauma

“…We have found that the simple affirmation that weather continues to contribute to pain after fracture healing can greatly relieve patient stress and encourage patients to believe they are recovering appropriately rather than experiencing a poor outcome. Furthermore, as patient generated quality metrics such as the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey are increasingly tied to hospital ratings and reimbursement, adequate counseling is ever more important [37][38][39]. Schmocker et al found that communication was the surgeonrelated characteristic most predictive of high post-operative HCAHPS scores [39].…”