Ethnicity and Language Differences in Patient Experience: an Analysis of the HCAHPS Survey.

Donaldson, Candice D; Bharadwaj, Archana; Giafaglione, Bradley; Patton, Pat; Fortier, Michelle A; Kain, Zeev N

BACKGROUND Although there has been a rising emphasis on patient-centered care, limited research has assessed differences in patient experience based on ethnicity and language. METHODS This study examined differences in quality of care (N = 6945) using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. Data were collected between January 2014 and April 2019. Bivariate and multivariate analyses assessed relationships between ethnicity/language with individual items capturing specific components of care and global hospital evaluations using regression modeling. RESULTS Compared to English-speaking non-Hispanic White patients, Spanish-speaking Hispanic/Latinx patients reported more positive interactions with nurses, physicians, and the hospital environment and reported a better understanding of care after discharge. Findings also indicated that Spanish-speaking Hispanic/Latinx patients were more satisfied with their experience compared to non-Hispanic White patients. DISCUSSION Spanish-speaking Hispanic/Latinx patients were more satisfied with specific components of care and also scored higher in a measure of the global patient experience. Findings suggest the need for setting clear expectations for health care encounters and adapting health system responses to better capture factors driving Hispanic/Latinx patient satisfaction.