Quality Patient Care
Patients Are Satisfied with RIC's Model of Care & Have Better Outcomes
RIC System Highlights, 2007
5,429 patients admitted for treatment
37,600 outpatient physician visits
139 average inpatients each day
*Includes strategic alliances
Every year, since 1991, U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) as the "#1 Rehabilitation Hospital in America." While we are proud to be recognized as the "best," what is more important to us is that by being our best, our patients can be their best. That is, in essence, our mission - to help people with disabilities so they can lead the most independent and fulfilling lives possible.
RIC's model of care is designed to help patients achieve the goals they set – from the doorways and doorknobs to the comprehensive specialized services we provide –we create an environment of care that helps our patients meet those goals.
One way we gauge our success in achieving our mission is by our patients' satisfaction with their care. Another important metric that demonstrates our success is the percentage of our patients who are discharged to the community. As indicated below, our 2007 satisfaction survey results shows that our patients are satisfied with our care and would recommend RIC to their family and friends. In addition, a high percentage of inpatients were discharged to the community after receiving rehabilitation at RIC.
RIC Patients Are Satisfied with Their Care & Would Recommend RIC
According to our 2007 patient satisfaction surveys, 97 out of 100 respondents rated the care they received at RIC as either good or excellent. Further, 95 out of 100 respondents would recommend RIC to friends or family members.
Source: Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Patient Satisfaction Survey, Calendar Year 2007
Based on surveys of 8,015 patients
RIC Inpatients: A High Percentage Are Discharged to the Community
Of those patients surveyed who received care as inpatients at RIC, 1,677 or nearly three out of four were discharged to live in the community. All but 20 of those individuals returned to live at home. The others went to live at another care facility or in assisted living. The following table shows the percentage of RIC patients discharged to live in the community compared with results for patients with similarly complex conditions in the region and the nation as a whole.
| Condition |
RIC Patients |
Region |
Nation |
| Overall |
74% |
65% |
67% |
| Stroke |
60% |
51% |
54% |
| Brain Injury |
66% |
59% |
59% |
| Spinal Cord Injury |
69% |
64% |
66% |
| Orthopedic |
87% |
78% |
80% |
| Neurological |
73% |
65% |
69% |
| General/Other |
70% |
65% |
66% |
Source: Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Outcomes Data, Calendar Year 2007
Based on 2,267 surveys
As we illustrate in the quality pages our patients with brain injury, spinal cord injury and stroke are exceptionally satisfied and make significant functional gains at RIC.
RIC is a Leading Provider of Comprehensive Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
RIC is a leading provider of comprehensive physical medicine and rehabilitation services. By comprehensive, we mean that we are able to care for each patient's rehabilitation needs at the appropriate level of care, based on his or her condition or injury, from inpatient to day rehabilitation and outpatient rehabilitation. In fact, RIC's system of care includes our flagship hospital and more than 30 outpatient and day rehabilitation locations across the Chicagoland area. RIC also has six strategic alliances with health care providers across Illinois and north central Indiana, which allow us to expand our mission to patients living in areas outside our traditional service area.
RIC's Inpatients Include Some of the Most Complex Cases
Compared with the national average, RIC treats more complex patients than the vast majority of other inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs). Why is this important? By caring for so many complex patients each year, RIC's staff gains more experience than most other clinicians in traditional rehabilitation hospital environments in treating patients with complex impairments and conditions.
While RIC's inpatient population includes a large proportion of complex cases, our full system of care encompasses a broad spectrum of needs. Many RIC professionals focus on assisting patients with issues such as chronic pain, arthritis, sports injuries and musculoskeletal concerns related to pregnancy and post-partum.
Specialized Services Help Patients Get Back to Life
In addition to physical rehabilitation services, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago offers patients a variety of specialized services that are designed to help them adapt to their new realities and gain maximum independence.