Close search bar

Overall Hospital Experience

​This measure describes a patient’s overall experience during a hospital stay. Results show the percentage of patients who responded most favourably in the CPES-IC survey.

Higher is better. The higher the Top Box result, the higher the number of patients who responded favourably.

Data updated:
Data availability: to (fiscal years)
Geographic coverage
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta
Reporting level
National, Province/Territory, Region, Facility
Calculation

(Number of patients who chose the most positive response to Q41 of the CPES-IC survey) ÷ (Total number of respondents for Q41)

This measure is calculated as a Top Box result, which is the percentage of survey respondents who chose the most positive responses (9 and 10) to a stand-alone question in the CPES-IC:

  • Q41. [On a scale from 0 to 10]  Overall, I had a very poor experience (0) to I had a very good experience (10)
Denominator

Patients age 18 and older who completed a question regarding their overall hospital experience in the CPES-IC survey (Q41)

Numerator

A subset of the denominator that represents patients age 18 and older who chose the most positive responses (9, 10) to the question on overall hospital experience in the CPES-IC survey (question 41)

Download CSV Expand/collapse all All accordions expanded

Name

Overall Hospital Experience

Description

The Overall Hospital Experience patient-reported experience measure (PREM) is a global measure of patient experience. It is based on 1 question from the Canadian Patient Experiences Survey — Inpatient Care (CPES-IC): 

  • Q41. [On a scale from 0 to 10]  Overall, I had a very poor experience (0) to I had a very good experience (10)

This PREM calculates the percentage of patients who chose the most favourable responses (9, 10) to question 41.

Rationale

Public reporting of PREMs amplifies the voice of patients. Results highlight opportunities for care providers and decision-makers to develop improvement initiatives that respond to patient preferences and needs. 

Patient experience measurement and comparison can help address information gaps to improve patient-centred care and facilitate peer-to-peer learning and sharing of best practices.

Interpretation

Higher is better. The higher the Top Box result, the higher the number of patients who responded favourably.

HSP Framework Dimension

Health system outputs: Person-centred

Available Data Years

to (fiscal years)

Geographic Coverage

  • New Brunswick
  • Nova Scotia
  • Ontario
  • Manitoba
  • Alberta

Reporting Level/Disaggregation

  • National
  • Province/Territory
  • Region
  • Facility
  • Hospital 
  • Peer group

Indicator Results

Web Tool: Your Health System: In Brief

Web Tool: Your Health System: In Depth

PDF: Accessing Indicator Results on Your Health System: In Depth (PDF) 

Web Tool: Canadian Patient Experiences Survey: Comparative Results tool
 

Update Frequency

Every year

Latest Results Update Date

Description

(Number of patients who chose the most positive response to Q41 of the CPES-IC survey) ÷ (Total number of respondents for Q41)

This measure is calculated as a Top Box result, which is the percentage of survey respondents who chose the most positive responses (9 and 10) to a stand-alone question in the CPES-IC:

  • Q41. [On a scale from 0 to 10]  Overall, I had a very poor experience (0) to I had a very good experience (10)

Type of Measurement

Percentage or proportion

Denominator

Description:

Patients age 18 and older who completed a question regarding their overall hospital experience in the CPES-IC survey (Q41)

Inclusions:

  • Admission to an acute care institution (Facility Type Code = 1)
  • Age at admission: 18 and older
  • Sex recorded as male or female

Exclusions:

  • Non-response categories (refusal, don’t know, not stated)
  • Records with invalid health card number
  • Records with missing or invalid discharge date
  • Newborn, stillbirth or cadaveric donor records (Admission Category Code = N, R or S)
  • Records with discharge as death, self sign-out or patient not returning from a pass (Discharge Disposition Code = 61, 62, 65, 66, 67, 72, 73 or 74)
  • Patients receiving care primarily for a psychiatric condition or mental health disorder (ICD-10-CA: F00–F99)
  • Patients who were in an alternate level of care
  • Patients with a substance-use disorder (ICD-10-CA: E24.4, F10, F11, F12, F13, F14, F15, F16, F18, F19, F55, G31.2, G62.1, G72.1, I42.6, K29.2, K70, K85.2, K86.0, Q86.0, T40.0, T40.1, T40.2, T40.3, T40.4, T40.5, T40.6, T40.7, T40.8, T40.9, T42.3, T42.4, T42.6, T42.7, T43.6, T43.8, T43.9, T51, O35.4, O99.3)
  • Patients discharged to another facility such as residential care, group/supportive living or a correctional facility (Discharge Disposition Code = 30, 40 or 90)
  • Patients excluded for sensitive or compassionate reasons with the following diagnoses (ICD-10-CA):
    • Pregnancy with abortive outcome (O00–O08)
    • Threatened abortion (O20.003, O20.009)
    • Complications specific to multiple gestation: delivery of papyraceous fetus, spontaneous abortion of 1+ fetus, selective fetal reduction, intrauterine death, complications specific to multiple gestation, maternal care for known or suspected fetal abnormality and damage (O31.001–O31.801, O35.001–O35.901) 
    • Maternal care for intrauterine death (O36.421–O36.499)
    • Maltreatment syndromes (including sexual, psychological or physical abuse; neglect/abandonment; unspecified maltreatment) (T74.0–T74.9)
    • Intentional self-harm (X60–X84)
    • Assault, cruelty, torture or abuse (including sexual assault) (X85–Y09)
    • Event of undetermined intent (Y10–Y34)
    • Examination and observation following alleged adult rape and seduction (Z04.4)
    • Examination and observation following alleged adult/child sexual and physical abuse (Z04.50, Z04.51) 
    • Outcome of delivery (Z37.100, Z37.101, Z37.300, Z37.301, Z37.400, Z37.401, Z37.600, Z37.601, Z37.610, Z37.611, Z37.620, Z37.621, Z37.630, Z37.631, Z37.680, Z37.681, Z37.690, Z37.691, Z37.700, Z37.701, Z37.710, Z37.711, Z37.720, Z37.721, Z37.730, Z37.731, Z37.780, Z37.781, Z37.790, Z37.791)
    • Palliative care (Z51.5)
  • Patients excluded for sensitive or compassionate reasons with the following diagnosis (CCI):
    • Pregnancy with abortive outcome (5.CA.20, 5.CA.24, 5.CA.88, 5.CA.89, 5.CA.90, 5.CA.93)
  • Patients who have duplicate submissions (determined by submitting province, submitting hospital, health card jurisdiction code and encrypted health card number in the last 12 months)

Numerator

Description:

A subset of the denominator that represents patients age 18 and older who chose the most positive responses (9, 10) to the question on overall hospital experience in the CPES-IC survey (question 41)

Method of Adjustment

To ensure comparability, results have been

  • Sample weighted
  • Non-response weighted
  • Age–sex standardized to the hospital Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) population
  • Adjusted for survey mode (mail, telephone, online)
  • Adjusted for service line (medical, surgical, maternity)

Adjustment Applied

Covariates used in risk adjustment:

Acute Care Patient-Reported Experience Measures — Methodology Notes (PDF)

CPES-IC Mode and Service Line Adjustments — Data Tables (XLSX)

Data Sources

Canadian Patient Experiences Reporting System (CPERS)

Caveats and Limitations

This measure captures the experiences of individuals who were admitted to an acute care hospital.

As CPERS-submitting jurisdictions have different survey cycles, the jurisdictions within each fiscal year (data year) may vary. Some jurisdictions collect annually, while others collect every 3 years. The available fiscal years (data years) for each jurisdiction are as follows:

Nova Scotia: 2017 (partial data coverage)

New Brunswick: 2015 and 2018 (surveys are conducted over a 3-to-4-month period)

Ontario: 2016 to 2021 (partial data coverage)

Manitoba: 2015 to 2021

Alberta: 2017 to 2021 

Data coverage is partial for the following jurisdictions in the most recent data year (2021):

  • Nova Scotia (38%)
  • Ontario (52%)

The frequency of survey collection also varies across hospitals within jurisdictions. The following hospitals collected data up to fiscal year 2020, whereas organizations within their province reported up to 2021:

  • Hôpital Glengarry Memorial Hospital, Ontario
  • Lennox and Addington County General Hospital, Ontario
  • Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance, Ontario 
  • Hamilton Health Sciences, Ontario 

The following hospitals collected data up to fiscal year 2019, whereas organizations within their province reported up to 2021:

  • Norfolk General Hospital, Ontario
  • North Bay Regional Health Centre, Ontario
  • North York General Hospital, Ontario
  • Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Ontario
  • Hardisty Health Centre, Alberta

To enable comparisons and benchmarking year over year when data isn’t available annually, all respondents from each hospital’s most recent year of data are used to calculate peer, regional, provincial and national averages. Blended averages include data up to a maximum of 3 fiscal years only.

As a result of the 3-year blended average methodology, caution should be taken when comparing Nova Scotia and New Brunswick results with other hospital, peer, regional, provincial and national averages.

Trending Issues

For a trend assessment, at least 3 data years (within the past 10 years) are required. At this time, results for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will not be reported with trending information. 

Trending results are not available when the most recent data year (2021) is not available. 

Comments

Details about performance assessment, funnel plots, trending and suppression rules are found in the methodology notes.

How to cite:

Canadian Institute for Health Information. Overall Hospital Experience. Accessed April 25, 2025.