A new study of Magnet-designated hospitals, accredited for nursing excellence, shows that they receive higher ratings from patients than other hospitals. This could, of course, help Magnet hospitals financially.
The study, in Health Services Research, compared 212 Magnet hospitals with 212 similar non-Magnet hospitals, using data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey.
“Patients in Magnet hospitals gave their hospitals higher overall ratings, were more likely to recommend their hospital, and reported more positive care experiences with nurse communication,” the researchers reported. Better patient-care experiences, they said, “may positively enhance reimbursement for hospitals.”
Research shows that patient experience is closely linked to the care receive from nurses because they provide the most direct care, lead author Amy Witkoski-Stimpfel, Ph.D., R.N., assistant professor at the New York University College of Nursing, noted about the study.
FierceHealthcare said that a recent separate study found that mortality rates in acute-care Magnet hospitals were 20 percent less than in non-Magnet hospitals. The study largely credited better process of care in Magnet hospitals that had made substantial new investments in nursing.
