Vein illumination improves patient preference and satisfaction with hospitals

AccuVein Inc., the global leader in vein illumination and the creator of the AV300, the world's only hand-held, non-contact vein illumination device, today reported the findings of its study on the impact that vein illumination has on patient preference and overall satisfaction. The study of almost 400 patients exposed to vein illumination, found that not only do patients want vein illumination used for all venipuncture procedures, including IV infusion and blood draw, but that they are willing to change their behavior and specifically seek out facilities that feature the technology.

Patient satisfaction is a key and growing measure of success in healthcare today. Starting in October 2012 as a result of the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare will begin taking patient satisfaction into account when reimbursing hospitals. This program marks the first time that hospitals across the country will be paid for inpatient acute care services based upon care quality, not just the quantity of the services provided. This will create even more competition between hospitals to satisfy patients, with those garnering the best scores receiving more money.

AccuVein's study found that 93% of patients would give a hospital a higher satisfaction score if vein illumination were utilized. Furthermore, 94% of patients expressed the desire to have vein illumination used each time they were stuck, suggesting a desire to have a facility-wide adoption of the technology. In fact, patients expressed such strong desires about the technology that they said they would be willing to drive an extra 14 miles to go to a hospital that used a vein illumination device such as the AV300.

In addition, patients expressed overwhelmingly positive feelings about the caregivers using vein illumination. Specifically, 98% of patients said they would appreciate the extra effort of a medical care provider who used vein illumination, a strong indication that the use of a vein illumination device could facilitate a more positive nurse/patient interaction.

"Patient satisfaction is increasingly becoming a critical measurement of hospital success and this data suggests that vein illumination devices such as the AccuVein AV300 can have a significant impact and be a key differentiator," said AccuVein CEO Ron Goldman. "Seeing patients express such a strong preference for vein illumination is encouraging and provides additional support for incorporating vein illumination into the venipuncture standard of care."