Report Card ranks AGH first in Ontario for ER responsiveness

AGH also cited as a high-performing hospital for ER, acute care and complex continuing care

The Almonte General Hospital (AGH) received the highest rating among 90 Ontario hospitals for patient satisfaction with the responsiveness of its emergency department, according to the 2007 provincial hospital report card released August 24, 2007.

AGH also ranked in the top five in Ontario in the three other areas that measured patient satisfaction with its ER services: Overall impressions, communication and consideration patients were shown while at emergency department.

Overall, the emergency department report card cites AGH as one of 13 high-performing Ontario hospitals in the area of patient satisfaction and one of 11 high-performing Ontario hospitals in the area of financial performance and condition. High-performing hospitals met specific criteria for each area of performance and did not record a below-average rating on any indicator in the report.

Responsiveness refers to ER patients’ assessments of the amount of time they waited to see doctors and nurses and receive test results; assessments of pain management; assessments of teamwork and the staff’s responsiveness to their needs. AGH ranked first in this category in Ontario with a score of 85.6.

Communication refers to patients’ assessments of how well information was communicated to them or their family during their ER stay. AGH ranked second in Ontario in this category with a score of 79.9.

Overall impressions refer to patients’ overall assessment of their hospital stay. AGH ranked third in Ontario in this category with a score of 87.5.

AGH also achieved high ratings on four indicators that measured efficiency and productivity related to human resource use in Ontario emergency departments.

Acute care results

The 2007 provincial report card for acute care services ranked AGH in the top four hospitals in Ontario for patient satisfaction in all four areas measured. That report card, also released on August 24, 2007, covered 87 Ontario acute care hospitals.

Overall, the acute care report card cites AGH as one of 10 high-performing Ontario hospitals in the area of patient satisfaction.

On the acute care report card, overall impressions include patients’ views of their hospital experience, including the overall quality of care and services they received and their confidence in the doctors and nurses who cared for them. AGH ranked third in Ontario in this category with a score of 92.2.

Responsiveness refers to patients’ assessments of the extent to which they got the care they needed in hospital and how co-ordinated and integrated that care was when it was delivered. AGH ranked fourth in this category with a score of 90.8.

Communication refers to patients’ views about the amount and quality of the information and communications they received about their condition, treatment and preparation for discharge and care at home, including information given to family and friends. AGH ranked fourth in Ontario in this category with a score of 85.5.

AGH also achieved high ratings on eight financial indicators that measure financial viability, liquidity, efficiency and the use of human resources.

Complex continuing care results

The 2007 provincial report card for complex continuing care ranked cited AGH as one of two high-performing hospitals in Ontario in the area of clinical utilization and outcomes. Complex continuing care is provided to patients in AGH’s Rosamond Unit.

The complex continuing care report card measured 13 indicators in the area of clinical utilization and outcomes, including improvement in the performance of activities of daily living, decline in the ability of patients to walk or wheel themselves and the presence of disruptive or severe pain.

"Ranking first among Ontario hospitals of all sizes for patient satisfaction with the responsiveness of our emergency department is a remarkable achievement," said AGH/Fairview Manor Executive Director Ray Timmons. "Being cited as a high-performing hospital for emergency services, acute care and complex continuing care is a tribute to the outstanding efforts of our doctors, nurses, support and administrative staff and volunteers."

Timmons said he was very proud of the fact that AGH has once again received top rankings for the courteous and respectful way it treats patients. "We are known for providing quality care and personal attention, while also operating in a cost-efficient manner," Timmons said.

AGH has received excellent ratings since the provincial hospital report card process began. The patient satisfaction rankings are based on responses to questionnaires distributed to patients who visited Ontario acute care and emergency departments between April 1, 2005 and March 31, 2006. Complex continuing care questionnaires were completed between October 2006 and January 2007. The objectives of the report cards are to facilitate local quality improvement programs and to support hospitals’ accountability to the communities they serve.

"The report cards are an important indicator of how well we are serving our community," Timmons said. "I’d like to thank the patients and family members who took the time to complete the questionnaires."

This is the eleventh year that Ontario residents have had access to independently researched reports detailing the performance of Ontario hospitals. The 2007 reports were prepared by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. The report card process is a joint initiative of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Ontario Hospital Association. To download a copy of the 2007 hospital report cards, visit www.hospitalreport.ca