Newly released survey data shows VA leads in patient experience

WASHINGTON — Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals outperform community hospitals, on 10 of 11 metrics, in Medicare’s latest Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems patient survey report.  

The Jan. 26 report found 54% of VA medical centers received 4 or 5 HCAHPS Stars for the Patient Survey Rating compared to 35% of community hospitals.

“VA has seen significant improvement in our patient experience scores since first being included in Care Compare in 2018,” said Deputy Under Secretary for Health, performing the delegable duties of the Under Secretary for Health Steven L. Lieberman, M.D. “Four years ago, only 26% of VA hospitals received 4 or 5 HCAHPS Stars for Patient Survey Rating — rising to 54% — in the latest January 2022 results.  

There are 11 HCAHPS Star Ratings appearing on Care Compare: one for each of 10 specific measures of patient experience plus an overall Summary Star rating. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services updates the HCAHPS Star Ratings each quarter.

The most recent ratings provided scores for 109 VA hospitals. Hospitals with fewer than 100 completed surveys are not assigned HCAHPS Star Ratings, however their HCAHPS measure scores are reported on Care Compare.

HCAHPS Star Ratings are developed from patient surveys administered through VA’s Survey of Health Care Experience of Patients and in the private sector through the HCAHPS survey. The same questions are asked on both VA and community hospital surveys to evaluate the patient experience.

In addition to hospital comparisons, the VA Quality of Care site provides ratings for outpatient care, nursing homes including State Veterans Homes and MISSION Act quality comparisons.