In April 2023, all patients discharged from Swiss hospitals received a questionnaire assessing their satisfaction with 'their hospital' (patient satisfaction). In total, 32,378 patients responded to the survey, and meaningful data is available for 153 hospitals. We use question 1 for our hospital comparison: 'How do you rate the quality of treatment (by doctors and nursing staff)?'. Patients could give ratings from 1 to 5 (poor, fair, good, very good, excellent - higher scores indicating better quality). Many patients expressed high satisfaction, reflected in a good average score of 4.21.
The surgical specialist clinic Clinique de la Plaine in Geneva achieved the highest patient rating nationwide. In the German-speaking part of Switzerland, Klinik Pyramide am See in Zürich received the highest ratings. However, both clinics have relatively small case numbers and only admit privately insured patients. Among larger hospitals that are also open to basic insured patients (> 300 questionnaires), Schulthess Klinik in Zurich, Klinik Hirslanden in Zurich, Hirslanden Klinik St. Anna in Lucerne, Lindenhofspital in Bern, and Hirslanden Klinik Aarau stand out with significantly above-average ratings.
In the canton of Geneva, patients attest to good quality in many hospitals. In the Romandy region, there is overall less dissatisfaction, with only one hospital receiving a significantly below-average rating. However, in the cantons of Aargau and Ticino, respectively, 4 hospitals were significantly below-average rated by patients.
It is also noteworthy that patients in private hospitals are generally more satisfied. On the other hand, some larger cantonal and university hospitals received significantly lower ratings, such as Kantonsspital Aarau, Kantonsspital Baden, Spital Thun, Kantonsspital Frauenfeld, Bürgerspital Solothurn, and the university hospitals in Basel and Zurich. The Felix Platter Spital in the University Hospital Basel performed particularly poorly.
The National Association for Quality Development in Hospitals and Clinics (ANQ) adjusts hospital satisfaction data based on their risks. This eliminates the influence of potential confounding variables. Adjustment is made for age, gender, insurance status, health condition, and location at the time of hospital discharge, making hospitals with different patient groups comparable.
5.0
4.9
4.9
4.7
4.7
4.7
4.6
4.6
4.6
4.6
4.6
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.4
4.4
4.4
4.4
4.4
4.3
4.3
4.3
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.2
4.1
4.1
4.1
4.0
4.0
4.0
4.0
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.9
3.7
3.7
3.7
3.7
3.7
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.5
3.4
3.4
3.4
3.4
3.4
3.3
3.3
3.3
3.2
3.2
3.1
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.8
2.7
2.7
2.7
2.7
2.6
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.4
2.4
2.4
2.4
2.4
2.4
2.4
2.3
2.3
2.2
2.2
2.2
2.2
2.2
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.6
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.4
1.4
1.4
1.4
1.3
1.3
1.2
1.2
1.1
1.0
1.0
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.8
0.6
0.5
0.2
0.1
0.1
Patient satisfaction is an important measure of hospital quality. It primarily reflects the patients' perception of the quality of treatment, the medical result and the competence and friendliness of the staff. In addition, when comfort elements such as good food and beautiful spaces surpass patients' expectations, excellent ratings are achieved. However, good comfort factors alone (without good medical quality) do not lead to high ratings.
Patient satisfaction is measured by ANQ (National group for quality development in Swiss hospitals and clinics) via a standardized questionnaire. These measurements may be considered the most reliable and comprehensive in Switzerland. The patients are each asked six questions after hospital discharge (multiple choice). We use the answers to the most general question about the quality of hospital treatment. In paediatrics, similar questions are used to query the satisfaction of the parents. The ANQ evaluations include a risk adjustment to make the hospitals comparable.