What Are We Measuring?

As part of a survey about their experience at Massachusetts General Hospital, hospital patients are asked the following two questions about their experience receiving medications in the hospital:

  • Before giving you any new medicine, how often did hospital staff tell you what the medicine was for?
  • Before giving you any new medicine, how often did hospital staff describe possible side effects in a way you could understand?

The answers to these questions help us identify areas in which we can improve our communications with patients about medications.

How Are We Performing?

Communication about Medication

Higher scores are better

The composite score indicates the percentage of patients who answered "always" to the questions above.

Data Source: Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) adult patient experience survey
Comparison Group Source: CMS HCAHPS survey