PAMPERING PRAISED IN POLL HOSPITALS STILL NEED TO WORK ON TRANSITION TO HOME, CALIFORNIA PATIENTS SAY.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

Californians generally give kudos to hospitals for physical pampering and pain relief but think more can be done to ease the trip home, according to a patient survey to be released today.

The report also found patients who checked in for surgery or maternity care rated better hospital visits than those admitted for other medical needs.

The California HealthCare Foundation hospital performance survey, purported to be the largest publicly reported survey of its kind, rated 113 participating California hospitals based on the response of more than 21,000 patients.

``They certainly scored better for physical comfort: controlling pain; helping them to the bathroom; how many minutes it took to get a response from the call button,'' said Ann Monroe, director of the California HealthCare Foundation Quality Initiative program.

In turn, however, hospitals suffered on following through - such as how to manage prescriptions, how to manage once you get home, how soon to get back to work, she said.

The so-called Patients' Evaluation of Performance in California survey was designed to guide patient choices and hospital improvement. It did not rate medical treatment. Conducted between January and March, it asked some of the following:

--Were patients treated with respect, dignity and as a partner in the health care process?

--How well did hospital staff address patient fears and anxieties?

--How organized and efficient were doctors and nurses?

Of the 14 Los Angeles hospitals that participated in the survey, one, City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, scored above average overall, seven rated average and six below average bypatients. Of 15 greater San Fernando Valley hospitals, only Kaiser Permanente participated.

While the Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Panorama City received an average overall score plus average ratings from maternity, surgical and medical patients, the Woodland Hills facility fared somewhat worse.

In Woodland Hills, Kaiser rated below average overall, with a 75 percent approval rating among 259 patient respondents - 77 percent was the study average - and below average among medical patients and for coordination of care, information and education and emotional support.

``For us, the value of this survey is to show us what our patients think and how we can do better,'' said Jim Anderson, a Kaiser spokesman. ``It shows us we've got more work to do with service to bring it up to the standards of high quality medical care we provide.''

In Ventura County, the Adventist Health/Simi Valley Hospital also received a below-average overall rating, with a minus from surgical patients.

``The patient survey is very important to us,'' Simi Valley Hospital spokeswoman Alicia Gonzalez said. ``We want our patients to know we really care and are making changes in a public way.''

The nonprofit California HealthCare Foundation is dedicated to improving health care and expanding access to affordable services. For a free patients' survey, contact www.chcf.org, or (888)-430-2423.

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SOURCE: California Healthcare Foundation