Military Hospital Spending on Environmental Services and Inpatient Satisfaction Ratings

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: To assess the impact of military hospital expenditures on environmental services (EVS) on inpatient satisfaction, the authors collected Defense Health Agency TRICARE Inpatient Satisfaction Survey data from fiscal years 2011 through 2013, military hospital EVS spending and workload data, facility construction/renovation data, and military health system inpatient administrative claims data. Multivariate logistic regression for panel data was performed independently for medical/surgical and obstetric product lines and each satisfaction question. A statistically significant positive relationship was found between hospital EVS spending and patient satisfaction, with the highest expenditure levels generally exhibiting a greater association with satisfaction. Statistically significant increases in satisfaction with cleanliness were associated with higher levels of hospital expenditures on EVS.