Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hospitals Spending Billions On New Buildings, But They May Not Improve Patient Satisfaction
NPR: New Hospital Buildings Define Future Of Health Care
Across the country, the health care industry is pouring billions of dollars into new hospitals and medical centers. And the new hospitals of today are very different than the ones they're replacing. (Silverman, 2/23)
Kaiser Health News: Fancy Flourishes At Hospitals Don’t Impress Patients, Study Finds
For decades, hospital executives across the country have justified expensive renovation and expansion projects by saying they will lead to better patient reviews and recommendations. ... Patient judgments have become even more important to hospitals since Medicare started publishing ratings and basing some of its pay on surveys patients fill out after they have left the hospital. [Dr. Zishan] Siddiqui’s study, published this month by the Journal of Hospital Medicine, contradicts the presumption that better facilities translate into better patient reviews. (Rau, 2/24)
