In an article in the Dallas Morning News USC researcher, John Romley, reported an interesting trend. As reimbursement from medicare and other insurances falls, hospitals are adding luxury features in an attempt to attract patients.
It used to be that the choice of hospital was based on where your physician "had privileges." Now it is quite possible that your personal doctor will not see you in hospital, rather you will be seen by a hospitalist, a staff doctor employed by the hospital. So you can go to any hospital you wish and your decision m ay not be based on the best rationale.
Increasingly, reimbursement for medicare patients is tied to the satisfaction of the patient. Corporate health care thinks they know what we want and it's not better medical care. It's better food, fine art in the lobby and on the walls, and valet parking. Hospitals are spending their money on cosmetic remodeling with fountains, travertine floors and plush furnishings. Patients are making their hospital choices based on amenities since those are things we can understand. Infection rates, survival statistics, and best practice policies are not as visible as luxury patient suites and gourmet dining options.
But aren't they more important? Until the patient asks for information related to successful patient outcomes the hospitals will continue to assume we are more concerned with the five star spa atmosphere than with how well the hospital manages their patient's ultimate outcome.
So while medicare payments to hospitals are falling, the hospitals are spending huge amounts of money on cosmetic improvements to attract more patients for whom they will be paid less.
Sorry, my music link ended up in an odd place below.
Archive timeline: 2014: May and June - preparing for surgery, July - surgery and post op problems,
August - recovery and physical therapy, September - thinking medically, October - getting back to
normal. November. - still recovering.
http://youtu.be/gBCdlBrgEmE
It used to be that the choice of hospital was based on where your physician "had privileges." Now it is quite possible that your personal doctor will not see you in hospital, rather you will be seen by a hospitalist, a staff doctor employed by the hospital. So you can go to any hospital you wish and your decision m ay not be based on the best rationale.
Increasingly, reimbursement for medicare patients is tied to the satisfaction of the patient. Corporate health care thinks they know what we want and it's not better medical care. It's better food, fine art in the lobby and on the walls, and valet parking. Hospitals are spending their money on cosmetic remodeling with fountains, travertine floors and plush furnishings. Patients are making their hospital choices based on amenities since those are things we can understand. Infection rates, survival statistics, and best practice policies are not as visible as luxury patient suites and gourmet dining options.
But aren't they more important? Until the patient asks for information related to successful patient outcomes the hospitals will continue to assume we are more concerned with the five star spa atmosphere than with how well the hospital manages their patient's ultimate outcome.
So while medicare payments to hospitals are falling, the hospitals are spending huge amounts of money on cosmetic improvements to attract more patients for whom they will be paid less.
Sorry, my music link ended up in an odd place below.
Archive timeline: 2014: May and June - preparing for surgery, July - surgery and post op problems,
August - recovery and physical therapy, September - thinking medically, October - getting back to
normal. November. - still recovering.
http://youtu.be/gBCdlBrgEmE
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