Results From Statewide Healthcare Quality Survey Released

WATERTOWN — Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) announced the results of an independent statewide patient experience survey, now publicly available at healthcarecompassma.org. The survey encompassed nearly 65,000 patients from more than 500 primary-care practices representing approximately 4,000 physicians across the state, who responded to the question of whether they would recommend their primary-care physician to their family and friends.

“The answer to this and other patient-experience questions makes Healthcare Compass MA a tremendous resource for Massachusetts residents who want to find the best care available,” said Barbra Rabson, president and CEO of MHQP. Among the findings:

• Questions about whether or not providers ask patients about feeling depressed, feeling stressed, or experiencing problems with alcohol, drugs, or a mental or emotional illness were reported for the first time in MHQP’s 2014 survey results. The 2014 statewide behavioral-health mean score of 53.1 indicated that there was substantial room for improvement. The results of the 2015 survey indicate improvement to 56.5 for these behavioral-health measures, with several practices having made truly noteworthy progress.

• The survey found that primary-care physicians across the state excel in communicating with their patients. The communication mean score for all practices across the state is 93.5 out of a potential 100 points.

“We are fortunate to live in Massachusetts where we have access to MHQP’s statewide public reporting about patient-experience results,” said patient advocate Rosalind Joffe, president of ciCoach and MHQP board member. “MHQP’s commitment to capturing and reporting the patient voice, and focusing on what is important to patients, will continue to make care better in Massachusetts.”

Added Dr. Thomas Scornavacca, senior medical director, UMass Memorial Health Care Office of Clinical Integration, “MHQP’s survey provides actionable information that helps bring physicians closer to our goal of delivering patient-centered care. At UMass Memorial Health Care, we evaluate MHQP survey results very carefully as we set healthcare quality-improvement priorities.”

Rabson noted that, “as an independent entity focused on healthcare quality improvement, we are committed to empowering patients and creating transparency in healthcare. Positive patient experiences are strongly linked to better health outcomes, more appropriate use of healthcare services, lower malpractice risk, and better patient retention in practices.”