Children's National is First Freestanding Pediatric Hospital to Publish Provider Satisfaction Ratings Online

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Children's National Health System today began the first phase of publishing satisfaction ratings from patients and families to its online provider profiles. Children's National is the first freestanding pediatric hospital in the United States to embrace transparency of its provider satisfaction data.

"We want families, referring physicians, and other care seekers to be able to easily access the reliable information  they need to make informed decisions about choosing a pediatric healthcare provider," said Denice Cora-Bramble, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Ambulatory and Community Health Services at Children's National. "The current healthcare environment demands the need for transparency, quality, and value based healthcare and Children's National is committed to meeting these needs." 

How It Works
Using patient satisfaction survey data from Press Ganey, a healthcare performance improvement organization, Children's National translated the data into a "star" rating system. Ratings will be posted for physicians and advance practice clinicians who have a minimum of 30 individual ratings during the last 12 months to ensure that the data is reliable, balanced, and reflective of actual patient and family experiences.

The "star ratings" will be updated twice a year for a rolling 12 months. 

While some public ratings sites, such as HealthGrades and Vitals, provide ratings, they can be based on the opinions of only a handful—or fewer— of reviewers who may not have had direct experience with the provider.

Transparency and Accountability
"Our research found that transparency initiatives at other hospitals demonstrated not just improvements in patient satisfaction but also significant improvements in clinical outcomes," stated David Wessel, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Hospital and Specialty Services at Children's National. "We want this program to help our organization further improve the quality and safety of the care we provide and to strengthen the trust that patients and families have in Children's National."

The number of updated provider profiles will continue to be expanded and rolled out throughout the year, Dr. Wessel added. In a second phase, profiles may include additional provider-specific metrics and open-ended patient and family comments.

About Children's National Health System
Children's National Health System, based in Washington, DC, has been serving the nation's children since 1870. Children's National is Magnet® designated, and was ranked among the top 10 pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report 2015-16. Home to the Children's Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National is one of the nation's top NIH-funded pediatric institutions. With a community-based pediatric network, seven regional outpatient centers, an ambulatory surgery center, two emergency rooms, an acute care hospital, and collaborations throughout the region, Children's National is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as an advocate for all children. For more information, visit ChildrensNational.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Children's National Health System