At the top of what’s most important to us at Rush is what our patients say about their care.

One of the two primary ways we learn about our patients’ feedback is through a national survey called the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers Systems (HCAHPS). This patient satisfaction survey is administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

It’s through this survey that we know Rush University Medical Center’s scores are the highest in Chicago for patients who would recommend the hospital to their friends.

Learn what patients say about Central Memorial Hospital

• Willingness to recommend
• Overall rating of hospital
• Communication with nurses
• Communication with doctors
• Pain control
• Staff responsiveness
• Explanation of medication
• Room cleanliness
• Quiet at night
• Discharge information

Would patients recommend the hospital to friends and family?

The survey asked patients whether they would recommend the hospital to their friends and family.

Of those responding to the survey, 97 percent of Rush patients would recommend Rush to family and friends. This breaks down to 83 percent who would definitely recommend Rush and another 14 percent who would probably recommend Rush.

The percentage of patients who would definitely recommend Rush is higher than both the national and Illinois averages.

How do patients rate the hospital overall?

Patients answered a question that asked for an overall rating of the hospital.

Ratings were on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means worst hospital possible and 10 means best hospital possible.

Of those responding to the survey, 80 percent of Rush patients rate the hospital a 9 or 10 and 15 percent rate the hospital a 7 or 8.

The percentage of patients who rate Rush a 9 or 10 is higher than both the national and Illinois averages.

How often did nurses communicate well with patients?

Patients reported how often their nurses communicated well with them during their hospital stay. Communicated well means nurses explained things clearly, listened carefully to the patient, and treated the patient with courtesy and respect.

Of those responding to the survey, 97 percent say Rush nurses communicate with them well. This breaks down to 82 percent who say their nurses always communicate well and another 15 percent who say their nurses usually communicate well. A total of 3 percent of patients say their nurses sometimes or never communicate well.

The percentage of patients who say their nurses always communicated well is the higher than both the national and Illinois averages.

How often did doctors communicate well with patients?

Patients reported how often their doctors communicated well with them during their hospital stay. Communicated well means doctors explained things clearly, listened carefully to the patient, and treated the patient with courtesy and respect.

Of those responding to the survey, 96 percent say doctors at Rush communicate with them well. This breaks down to 81 percent who say their doctors always communicate well and another 15 percent who say their doctors usually communicate well. A total of 4 percent of patients say their doctors sometimes or never communicate well.

The percentage of patients who say their doctors always communicate well is lower than the national and Illinois averages.

How often was patients’ pain well controlled?

If patients needed medicine for pain during their hospital stay, the survey asked how often their pain was well controlled. Well controlled means the hospital staff did everything they could to help patients with their pain.

Of those responding to the survey, 94 percent of patients say their pain was always or usually well controlled. This breaks down to 72 percent who say their pain was always well controlled and another 22 percent who say their pain was usually well controlled. A total of 6 percent say their pain was sometimes or never well controlled.

The percentage of patients who say their pain was always well controlled is higher than both the national average and the same as the Illinois average.

How often did patients receive help quickly from hospital staff?

Patients reported how often they were helped quickly when they used the call button or needed help in getting to the bathroom or using a bedpan.

Of those responding to the survey, 90 percent of patients say Rush staff are responsive to their personal needs, such as responding to call lights and requests for assistance with going to the bathroom. This breaks down to 66 percent who say Rush staff are always responsive and another 24 percent who say they are usually responsive. A total of 10 percent of patients say Rush staff are sometimes or never responsive.

The percentage of patients who say Rush staff are always responsive to their needs is lower than the national and Illinois averages.

How often did staff explain about medicines before giving them to patients?

If patients were given medicine that they had not taken before, the survey asked how often staff explained about the medicine. Explained means that hospital staff told what the medicine was for and what side effects it might have before they gave it to the patient.

Of those responding to the survey, 83 percent of patients say Rush staff explain medications to them. This breaks down to 66 percent who say the staff always explain medications and another 17 percent who say the staff usually explain medications. A total of 17 percent of patients say the staff sometimes or never explain medications.

The percentage of patients who say Rush staff members always explain medications is higher than the national and Illinois averages.

How often were patients’ rooms kept clean?

Patients reported how often their hospital room and bathroom were kept clean.

Of those responding to the survey, 92 percent of Rush patients say their rooms and bathrooms are clean. This breaks down to 73 percent who say their rooms are always clean and another 19 percent who say their rooms are usually clean. A total of 8 percent of patients say their rooms are sometimes or never clean.

The percentage of patients who say their rooms are always clean is lower than both the the national and Illinois averages.

How often was the area around patients’ rooms kept quiet at night?

Patients reported how often the area around their room was quiet at night.

Of those responding to the survey, 94 percent of Rush patients say the area around their rooms is quiet at night. This breaks down to 69 percent who say the area is always quiet and another 25 percent who say the area is usually quiet. A total of 6 percent of patients say the area is sometimes or never quiet.

The percentage of Rush patients who say the area around their rooms is always quiet at night is higher than both the national and Illinois averages.

Were patients given information about what to do during recovery at home?

The survey asked patients about information they were given when they were ready to leave the hospital. Patients reported whether hospital staff had discussed the help they would need at home. Patients also reported whether they were given written information about symptoms or health problems to watch for during their recovery.

Of those responding to the survey, 88 percent of patients say Rush gave them information about recovery at home. A total of 12 percent of patients say Rush did not do this completely.

The percentage of patients who say Rush gave them information about their recovery at home is higher than both the national and Illinois averages.