Ratings from customers are crucial for everything from restaurants to repair services, but these days what patients have to say about the healthcare they receive also can mean major financial pain or gain for hospitals. 

The ratings of North Carolina hospitals this week by Raleigh-based Axial Exchange ranked Rex Healthcare in Raleigh highest on its index. Axial’s system unlike the better-known US News and World Report index includes patient satisfaction. Since hospitals now are reimbursed in part based on customer satisfaction you can bet your thermometer that hospitals monitor these reports.

Axial CEO and founder Joanne Rohde explained customer satisfaction importance to WRALTechWire on Thursday: “CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services), which pay 50% of all healthcare expenses in this country are actually modifying payment algorithms to reflect patient satisfaction, or HCAHP (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) scores. So hospitals are equally invested as the consumers. That’s when everyone wins.”

Lisa Schiller, vice president of marketing for Rex Healthcare, discussed hospital ratings and how the Raleigh-based hospital is using technology in an attempt to improve patients’ experiences.

However, based on the Axial score, Rex and other North Carolina hospitals has some catching up to do based on Axial scores from other states.

  • Should hospitals take such rankings such as from Axial and US News seriously? Hospitals certainly boast about favorable US News rankings.

While there are many hospital rankings out there, and it can be confusing for patients, we recognize that health-care is a patient-centric business.

The Triangle is an extremely competitive health-care market and we’re proud that Rex is the hospital of choice for many patients and their families.

These types of rankings reinforce that Rex is a destination for top medical care and services.

  • Why is customer engagement considered a high priority at Rex? (A graphic with the Axial ratings shows Rex uses an array of technology to communicate to and about patients.)

We continue to look for innovative ways to gather feedback from our patients and their families.

Their opinions help us determine what’s working well and remind us if we ever start to fall short.

Technology such as Social Media and smartphone apps are just new tools for engaging with our patients.

  • The top hospitals in California (91), Florida (89) and Texas (84) are higher in ther states scored by Axial. Does that indicate Rex has work to do in engagement and is Rex committed to doing a better job? (Maximum score is 100.)

Rex’s goal to be among the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for a wide range of measures, including quality, safety and patient satisfaction.

We review many types of rankings, including our own internal report cards, and continually look for where we’re strong and any areas where we might improve.

Different Ratings

US News, which works with RTI International in RTP to compile its ratings, utilizes different criteria and rates top performing hospitals as “Gold” or “Silver.”

Rex rated a silver as did WakeMed and Duke Raleigh.

Duke University Medical Center, Duke Children’s Hospital and Health Center, University of North Carolina Hospitals, North Carolina Children’s Hospital at UNC and Duke Regional Hospital received a gold designation. 

Users’ Role

So how should patients use this ratings information? 

Use your Twitter, Facebook and email or whatever (phone calls, post cards …) to inform friends, family and others looking for information about how you were treated.

Rex and hospitals everywhere are looking for feedback.