Satisfaction with Care — Emergency Care

One of the most critical ways that hospitals can assess and improve the quality of the care that they provide to the public is to assess the satisfaction of their patients by directly asking patients what they thought about their hospital experience. We do not take exception to this process.		Patient Satisfaction   •    Emergency Care   •    Inpatient Care   •    Outpatient Surgery Care
Currently the most extensive way that we can measure patients' and their family’s experience with us is through the use of formal surveys that are independently administered. Survey results enable us to collect valuable feedback from our patients and take action based on what they say makes a difference to them.   All of the indicators or safe practices included in the survey have extensive research to support their use and are defined so that all hospitals can use the same methods for calculating the statistics. This process promotes transparency in reporting and allows the public to make comparisons based on credible data.   Indicators and safe practices are not perfect, however. While useful as a guide, the statistics in the report should not be the sole basis of decision making when selecting a hospital.   Cottage Health System is publicly reporting our patient satisfaction measures because it is an important part of our mission to be a leading healthcare system in California. We are deeply committed to sharing our quality data in an effort to be transparent and to promote the public’s understanding of their healthcare options. We firmly believe in processes of care that are driven by data and based on firm evidence. As a system, we learn from these measures and address our opportunities to improve the care of our patients. Combined with our core values of excellence, integrity and compassion, this emphasis on superior process has the potential to advance all aspects of care in our hospital system.   Emergency Care   Emergency Care is the medical treatment, services, products, or accommodations provided to an injured or ill person after a sudden onset of a medical condition. More specifically, emergency patients receive initial treatment for a broad spectrum of illnesses and injuries, some of which may be life-threatening and requiring of immediate attention.

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The following is a report of the percantage of  Emergency Department  patients who rated the overall care they received a 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale.

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital National Average  2012 4th Quarter 88.3 91.4 94.7 84.2 3rd Quarter 87.1 90.7 94.9 84.2 2nd Quarter 85.7 91.2 94.5 84.2 1st Quarter 83.9 90.5 93.8 84.2 2011  4th Quarter 85.7 89.5 94.1 84.2

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