Letters to the editor: June 18, 2012

Unsatisfactory analysis of patient satisfaction data

On Page 2 of your June 11 issue, there is a tiny “factlet” that simply cannot be allowed to pass without comment. Surely there is a typo in the chart that accompanies the brief paragraph, “The Customer's Always Right.”

The conclusion that is cited is one that we would all love to believe: “Simply put, hospitals that get better grades for patient experience are more profitable than those with low grades.” Seems logical. As someone who has devoted his professional career to not only providing best- in-class medical outcomes but also a patient experience that would compete well with any customer service company, I have a strong vested interest in this being true.

However, are we really to believe that a 0.6% difference in patients reporting a satisfactory experience is the difference between being in the top quartile versus the second? Indeed, is it truly possible that a 2.1% difference in patient experience is all it takes to plummet from the top to the bottom quartile?

This is silly. Even if patient satisfaction surveys had enough accuracy to be a useful metric (they don't), there simply aren't enough hospitals in the entire United States to produce a study with the statistical power to find such miniscule deltas statistically significant. Seriously, 0.2% between the second and third quartiles and THIS is what determines your profitability?

Which is a bummer for us, of course. We're running around 99% on that satisfactory experience thing.

Darrell E. White, M.D.

President

SkyVision Centers

I'd like to comment on two items that appeared on the editorial pages of the June 11 issue of Crain's.

First, I am shocked that the publisher of a business newspaper would be as happy about taxpayer-funded competition in the real estate market as Brian Tucker appears to be in his commentary, “An education on town-gown relations,” about real estate development going on around Kent State University.

Beating up on the capitalist and market-participant landlords is fine, but don't use my tax dollars to do it. And don't call yourselves a business newspaper. You're replacing the aristocracy of money with the aristocracy of “pull.”

Second, the “letter to the editor” from Mike McManus heaps yet more praise of compromise in politics — a theme expounded upon by Mr. Tucker in his May 14 commentary, “Yet another defeat for political reason.” This position reflects a lack of understanding of the true nature and role of government, which is never to provide, but always to deny.

Our rights are negative; to be free “from” and almost never free “to.” With individual freedom, the free “to” is up to each and every one of us.

You can compromise when discussing from which citizens to take and to which citizens to give. But you cannot compromise on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

William C. Ferry

Rocky River

I'd like to comment on two items that appeared on the editorial pages of the June 11 issue of Crain's.

First, I am shocked that the publisher of a business newspaper would be as happy about taxpayer-funded competition in the real estate market as Brian Tucker appears to be in his commentary, “An education on town-gown relations,” about real estate development going on around Kent State University.

Beating up on the capitalist and market-participant landlords is fine, but don't use my tax dollars to do it. And don't call yourselves a business newspaper. You're replacing the aristocracy of money with the aristocracy of “pull.”

Second, the “letter to the editor” from Mike McManus heaps yet more praise of compromise in politics — a theme expounded upon by Mr. Tucker in his May 14 commentary, “Yet another defeat for political reason.” This position reflects a lack of understanding of the true nature and role of government, which is never to provide, but always to deny.

Our rights are negative; to be free “from” and almost never free “to.” With individual freedom, the free “to” is up to each and every one of us.

You can compromise when discussing from which citizens to take and to which citizens to give. But you cannot compromise on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

William C. Ferry

Rocky River

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