New patient satisfaction survey ranks top Israeli hospitals – Ynetnews

Report on National Inpatient Experience Survey (2024-2025)

Introduction and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• This report details the findings of the Ministry of Health’s national inpatient experience survey, conducted from November 2024 to March 2025.
• The survey’s results offer critical insights into the nation’s progress towards key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
• The data highlights both successes in providing quality healthcare and significant disparities that must be addressed to ensure equitable access and outcomes for all population segments.

Survey Methodology and Demographics

• Sample Size: 11,553 respondents who were hospitalized for at least two nights.
• Demographics: The sample included 57% male and 43% female respondents, with over half aged 65 and older. This data disaggregation is essential for monitoring progress under SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10.
• Scope: The survey covered internal medicine, surgery, and various specialized wards. It excluded psychiatry, emergency medicine, maternity, and pediatric departments.
• Data Collection: Interviews were conducted via telephone within 14 days of discharge. The fifth iteration of this survey incorporated AI for analyzing open-ended questions, advancing SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through technological innovation.

Key Findings: Overall Performance and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

• The national overall patient satisfaction score was 82%, indicating a generally high standard of care that aligns with the objectives of SDG 3 to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being.
• Despite the challenges of ongoing conflict, Soroka Medical Center demonstrated exceptional institutional resilience, a key component of SDG 16, by achieving the highest satisfaction score among tertiary hospitals.

1. Tertiary Hospitals: Soroka Medical Center (85%)
2. Large Hospitals: Meir Medical Center (84%)
3. Mid-sized Hospitals: Carmel Medical Center (85%)
4. Small Hospitals: Laniado Hospital (88%)

Analysis of Disparities and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

• The survey identified significant inequalities in patient experience, underscoring challenges in achieving SDG 10.
• Infrastructural Inequality: 7% of patients reported being treated in corridors, resulting in a satisfaction score of 67% compared to 83% for patients in rooms. This points to gaps in adequate infrastructure as outlined in SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
• Departmental Disparities: Internal medicine wards consistently scored lower than surgical and other departments, indicating systemic issues in specific areas of care. For example, Galilee Medical Center’s internal medicine ward scored 69%, while its other departments scored 88%.
• Demographic Vulnerabilities: Lower satisfaction was reported by younger patients and non-native Hebrew speakers, highlighting barriers to equitable and inclusive healthcare access.
• Institutional Performance Gaps: Hospitals such as Tzafon Medical Center (74%) and Hillel Yaffe Medical Center (75%) recorded scores significantly below the national average, indicating regional inequalities in healthcare quality.

Determinants of Patient Satisfaction and Institutional Accountability (SDG 16)

• The survey weighted various factors, revealing that the human aspects of care are the most significant drivers of patient satisfaction, a core tenet of a holistic approach to SDG 3.
• Primary Drivers of Satisfaction:
  • Feeling of being “in good hands” (contributing ~30% to the total score, with an 86% satisfaction rate).
  • Staff-patient relations (contributing 28% to the total score, with an 84% satisfaction rate).
• Secondary Drivers:
  • Information and discharge process (83% satisfaction).
  • Effort to meet patient needs (78% satisfaction).
  • Physical conditions and environment (76% satisfaction).
• These findings suggest that investments in professional and empathetic care are more impactful on patient well-being than physical infrastructure alone.

Conclusion and Future Implications for SDGs

• The 2024-2025 survey serves as a crucial accountability mechanism, reflecting the Ministry of Health’s commitment to building effective and transparent institutions (SDG 16), even during periods of conflict.
• The results provide a clear mandate to address the inequalities identified within the healthcare system, focusing on improving conditions in internal medicine wards, eliminating corridor-based treatment, and ensuring culturally and linguistically competent care to advance SDG 10.
• By continuing to monitor patient experience and leveraging technology for data analysis, the healthcare system can better target interventions to ensure progress towards universal access to quality healthcare as envisioned in SDG 3.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The entire article is centered on the quality of healthcare services, a core component of SDG 3. It evaluates the performance of hospitals through a patient satisfaction survey, directly addressing the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. The focus on inpatient experience, staff-patient relations, and the effectiveness of medical care aligns with the objective of providing quality healthcare.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • The article touches upon the quality of hospital infrastructure. It mentions that the survey measured satisfaction with “physical conditions and environment” and highlights a significant issue where “Seven percent reported being treated in corridors.” This points directly to the adequacy and resilience of healthcare infrastructure, a key aspect of SDG 9, which calls for building resilient infrastructure. The mention of an Iranian missile striking a facility also underscores the need for resilient infrastructure, especially in conflict zones.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The survey findings reveal disparities in healthcare experiences among different patient groups. The article explicitly states that “younger patients, non‑native Hebrew speakers and those treated in corridors reported lower satisfaction.” This highlights inequalities in access to quality care and patient experience based on age, language, and physical placement within the hospital, connecting directly to SDG 10’s aim to reduce inequality within and among countries.
4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
   • The article is set against the backdrop of the “Iron Swords war,” mentioning that Soroka Medical Center operated “under fire” and treated “thousands of wounded.” The hospital’s ability to maintain high patient satisfaction despite these challenges demonstrates institutional resilience. The Ministry of Health’s regular, transparent survey is an example of an effective and accountable institution, which is a central theme of SDG 16.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being):
   • Target 3.8: “Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services…” The article’s focus on measuring the quality of inpatient hospital care through a national satisfaction survey is a direct evaluation of “access to quality essential health-care services.”
   • Target 3.d: “Strengthen the capacity of all countries… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.” The ability of Soroka Medical Center to maintain high standards of care while operating “under fire” during a war demonstrates a strengthened capacity for managing national health risks and crises.
2. Under SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure):
   • Target 9.1: “Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.” The finding that 7% of patients were treated in corridors and the lower satisfaction scores associated with physical conditions point to challenges in providing quality and equitable infrastructure within hospitals.
3. Under SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):
   • Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.” The article’s finding that non-native Hebrew speakers and younger patients report lower satisfaction indicates a lack of equal experience, which this target aims to address.
   • Target 10.3: “Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome…” The significant gap in satisfaction between patients in rooms (83%) and those in corridors (67%) is a clear inequality of outcome in the healthcare experience that this target seeks to eliminate.
4. Under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions):
   • Target 16.6: “Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.” The Ministry of Health’s initiative to conduct and release a national patient satisfaction survey for the fifth time is a clear practice of building accountable and transparent public institutions. The use of a real-time data dashboard for hospitals further enhances this transparency.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 3 Targets:
   • Overall patient satisfaction score: The national average of 82% and individual hospital scores (e.g., Soroka 85%, Laniado 88%) serve as direct indicators of the quality of healthcare services (Target 3.8).
   • Component satisfaction scores: The article breaks down the overall score into specific metrics that act as detailed indicators, such as the feeling of being “in good hands” (86%), staff-patient relations (84%), and the discharge process (83%) (Target 3.8).
   • Performance under crisis: Soroka Medical Center’s leading score despite the war serves as a qualitative indicator of its capacity for risk management and resilience (Target 3.d).
2. For SDG 9 Targets:
   • Percentage of patients treated in corridors: The figure of 7% is a direct quantitative indicator of infrastructure strain and inadequacy (Target 9.1).
   • Satisfaction with physical conditions: The national score of 76% for “physical-condition environment” is an indicator used to measure the quality of the healthcare infrastructure from the patient’s perspective (Target 9.1).
3. For SDG 10 Targets:
   • Disaggregated satisfaction data: The comparison of satisfaction scores between “corridor inpatients” (67%) and “room patients” (83%) is a specific indicator of inequality in healthcare experience (Target 10.3).
   • Identification of vulnerable groups: The mention that “younger patients” and “non-native Hebrew speakers” reported lower satisfaction, while not quantified, implies the use of demographic data to identify and measure inequalities (Target 10.2).
   • Inter-departmental disparities: The difference in scores between internal-medicine wards (e.g., 69% at Galilee Medical Center) and other departments (88% at the same hospital) is an indicator of internal inequalities in service quality.
4. For SDG 16 Targets:
   • Regularity of institutional assessment: The fact that this is the “fifth such survey” by the ministry since 2014 is an indicator of a sustained commitment to accountability and transparency (Target 16.6).
   • Use of modern tools for transparency: The mention of a “dashboard provided participating hospitals with real-time raw data” is an indicator of developing effective and transparent institutional practices (Target 16.6).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: ynetnews.com