South Africa’s top 20 private hospitals, ranked by Discovery Health patients based on their experiences, have been announced, reports The Times. The hospitals rated best in the survey for the large‚ medium and small categories respectively were: Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre in Durban‚ Gateway Private Hospital in Umhlanga and Cormed Clinic in Vanderbijlpark.
The report says adult members of Discovery Health were surveyed about their experience of care after discharge from hospital and 136 hospitals were ranked in the latest analysis.
The results of the third Discovery Health Patient Survey Score (PaSS) highlighted gaps in delivery‚ unnecessary costs and other areas for improvement. But, the report says, increasingly private hospitals are meeting patient expectations and needs‚ this survey found. Head of quality of care at Discovery Health Dr Roshini Moodley Naidoo said: “Since publication of the survey scores‚ we are observing positive changes in how care is experienced by patients.”
Discovery Health reported that patients who were well prepared for discharge had better health outcomes and were at lower risk of repeat admissions. “The Top 20 hospitals must be commended for building a more patient-centred healthcare system‚ which understands and responds quickly to patients’ needs‚ and involves patients and their families in care decisions‚” said Moodley Naidoo.
The PaSS Top 20 hospitals in 2016‚ across all size categories‚ are: Cormed Clinic; Ethekwini Hospital And Heart Centre – Top 20 hospital over three consecutive years; Gateway Private Hospital; Hillcrest Private Hospital – Top 20 hospital over three consecutive years; Life Bay View Private Hospital; Life Rosepark Hospital; Lowveld Hospital – Top 20 hospital over three consecutive years; Mediclinic Cape Gate; Mediclinic Ermelo; Mediclinic George; Mediclinic Hoogland; Mediclinic Louis Leipoldt; Mediclinic Milnerton – Top 20 hospital over three consecutive years; Mediclinic Panorama – Top 20 hospital over three consecutive years; Mediclinic Stellenbosch – Top 20 hospital over three consecutive years; Midvaal Private Hospital – Top 20 hospital over three consecutive years; Netcare Jakaranda Hospital; Netcare N1 City Hospital; Wilmed Park Private Hospital – Top 20 hospital over three consecutive years; and Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital – Top 20 hospital over three consecutive years.
The PaSS Top hospitals in 2016‚ by size category‚ are listed below (alphabetically):
Large Hospitals: Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre; Hillcrest Private Hospital; Life Rosepark Hospital; Mediclinic Panorama; and Netcare N1 City Hospital.
Medium sized hospitals: Gateway Private Hospital; Jakaranda Hospital; Mediclinic Hoogland; Mediclinic Stellenbosch; and Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital.
Small Hospitals: Cormed Clinic; Lowveld Hospital; Mediclinic Ermelo; and Midvaal Private Hospital.
The Western Cape boasts the top hospitals in the country, followed by Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, Moneyweb reports the survey found.
Out of the top 20 hospitals for 2016, eight are located in the Western Cape with four in Gauteng and three in KwaZulu-Natal. The Free State and Mpumalanga have two each and the North West has one hospital in the top 20. Overall, 136 hospitals were included in the analysis of patient experience scores.
The report says to collect patient feedback on the experience of care in hospital, adult members of Discovery Health Medical Scheme are surveyed after their discharge from hospital. The survey covers questions such as how well pain was managed, the preparation of patients for care following discharge, and whether patients experienced communication from healthcare providers as respectful and easy to understand. Since 2014 it shows a steady improvement in patient scores across survey categories such as information about care following discharge.
Moodley Naidoo says the analysis considers factors that hospitals cannot reasonably control such as the nature of illness and the age and gender of patients. “Measuring quality of care, including patient experience, is standard practice in healthcare systems around the world. Healthcare systems that value and enable best quality of care are known to reduce unnecessary costs and offer improved health outcomes for patients.”
[link url="https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-07-18-sas-top-20-private-hospitals-based-on-the-experiences-of-patients/"]The Times report[/link]
[link url="https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/sas-top-hospitals-are-in-the-western-cape-patients-say/"]Moneyweb report[/link]