Magnet Recognition Program® Status

Excellence in healthcare is a key outcome for providers and consumers of healthcare services alike. Patient satisfaction is a firmly recognized indicator of quality and patient-centeredness of a healthcare system. Beginning in 2013, healthcare organizations have been reimbursed based on their Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Value-based Purchasing score, 70% of which is based on clinical outcomes of care and 30% on patient satisfaction. Higher satisfaction scores also drive a number of increased patient quality indicators and decreased malpractice litigation. The purpose of this research was to quantitatively measure the relationship between a positive professional practice environment, in this case Magnet Recognition Program® designation, and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient satisfaction, top-box score for the question "Would you recommend this hospital to your friends and family?" and also to triangulate nurses' perceptions within a Magnet® status organization on actions that drive higher "willingness to recommend" scores. This study was designed to determine whether significant correlations exists between Magnet Recognition Program® designated healthcare organizations and non-Magnet® healthcare organizations in terms of the "willingness to recommend" question on the HCAHPS survey. This study is a quantitative secondary analysis of data collected and compiled from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and the CSM HCAHPS database. A qualitative study was performed using naturalistic inquiry to gather more in-depth information to clarify the quantitative data. Analysis of the data revealed that Magnet® designated organizations have significantly (p < .05) higher scores than non-Magnet designated organizations. Qualitative results revealed nursing units that scored well on the "willingness to recommend" question demonstrated a patient-centered model of care with concrete advocacy actions on behalf of patients and families, and that positive interprofessional team relationships were the most successful in driving a higher "willingness to recommend" score within a Magnet® organization. The implications of these results for nursing organizations and overall outcomes analysis are presented.