Patient Questions: Things To Ask Your Hospital                  

Patient Preferences and Comfort

• What do the patient rooms look like?
• Will I be able to see outside?
• Will I be able to adjust the lighting and the temperature myself?
• If I am not in a private room, is there a place that I can go to have a private conversation?
• Are there any activities other than television available, such as music or reading material?
• Are there lounges available for me and my family/friends to use?
• Are there patios, gardens, or other outdoor spaces for patients and families?
• Is it possible for you to adjust mealtimes and routine checks around my schedule?
• For example, if I am a late sleeper, can I receive my breakfast and have my temperature taken later in the morning instead of being awakened?
• Is food available to me 24 hours a day if I am hungry?
• Can my family/friends cook food for me at the hospital?
• Will I have a variety of food choices that take my personal or ethnic preferences into consideration?
• Are complementary and integrative therapies such as massage available?
• What types of services?
• How would I arrange for those services?

Access to Information

• Do you have a consumer health library?
• What type of information will you provide to me about my condition and treatment options?
• If I would like more background information, how could I obtain that information?
• What process would I use to access my medical records while I am in the hospital?
• Will someone review the records with me and answer any questions I have?
• Do I have the option to add my own information and perspectives into my record for my healthcare team to read and review?

Involvement of Family and Friends

• Are there any limitations on when I may have family/friends with me? Can they stay overnight?
• If I want them to be involved, can my family and friends be trained to help care for me while I am in the hospital?
• If a family member/friend will be caring for me after discharge, what type of information and training is available to them before my discharge?

Responsiveness to Patient or Family Concerns

• What process should I (or my family member/friend) use to raise a concern while in the hospital?
• Do you have a process for a team to rapidly assess a patient who is deteriorating?
• Can a patient or family member initiate the team?

Involvement of Patients in Hospital Operations

• What processes do you use to get input from patients and family members?
• Do you have a patient and family advisory council?
• Are patients involved on other hospital committees?
• Do you conduct patient focus groups?
• What type of orientation and support do you provide for patients and family members involved in hospital operations?
• How do you use the feedback obtained from patients and families?

Patient Feedback

• How do patients rate their experience in your hospital?*

** To review how patients rated their experiences at individual hospitals, visit the CMS Hospital Compare website (www. hospitalcompare.hhs.gov) where hospitals’ HCAHPS patient survey data is now available.