Philadelphia-area patients say they are often being left in the dark about side effects that could result from new medications given during hospitalizations, even though hospitals are required to explain the potential risks.
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One in three patients at Philadelphia-area hospitals claimed that staff did not consistently explain possible side effects of medication, according to a leading patient satisfaction survey conducted annually by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
To gauge the patient experience, the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey asks questions about the hospital environment and how staff treated them during their stay. These quality indicators are less tangible thanclosely watched rates of infections or falls but still can offer meaningful insight into hospital culture and help administrators identify gaps in care.
The regional hospitals where large portions of patientssurveyed reported not being told about medication side effects included three operated by the Virtua health system in New Jersey. About 40% of patients at Our Lady of Lourdes, Mount Holly, and Willingboro said staff had “never” or only “sometimes” explained side effects.
“These survey results reinforce that it is not enough for patients to receive clear information most of the time,” Jen Khelil, executive vice president and chief clinical officer at Virtua, said in a statement.
“Our goal is for every patient to feel fully informed about new medications, including their potential side effects, every time,” Khelil said.
Medication safety
The most recent HCAHPS report, released in June, includes responses from about 2.3 millionpatients across the country, including nearly 32,000 from Philadelphia-area hospitals, between July 2024 and June 2025.
The survey covers topics such as noise levels, room cleanliness, staff friendliness, and whether they would overall recommend the hospital.
Among the questions: Before giving you any new medicine, how often did hospital staff tell you what the medicine was for?
Patients can answer “never,” “sometimes,” “usually,” or “always.” The survey results published by CMS combine “never” and “sometimes” answers.
These multiple-choice answers are subjective. But generally speaking, doctors and nurses should strive to always explain side effects, said Jeffrey Millstein, an internist and regional medical director for Penn Primary Care who regularly writes about the doctor-patient relationship as an Inquirer contributor.
Patients who do not fully understand potential side effects may disregard a dangerous complication as “normal.” Alternatively, a common, harmless side effect could be alarming to a patient who wasn’t educated about what to expect when taking a new medication, he said.
“They need to know the real red flags, and to not discontinue their medicine for the wrong reason,” he said.
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In busy medical settings, staff may focus on other aspects of medication adherence, such as explaining what the medication does, instructions for when and how to take it, and whether it will negatively mix with a patient’s other medications. Side effects may be mentioned last, quickly, or by telling patients to refer to a manufacturer’s pamphlet with warnings.
“That’s really useless,” Millstein said. “It doesn’t put anything in context.”
Doctors and nurses should open a conversation about side effects by asking patients what they know about a drug, or what concerns they have, which can allow staff to dispel inaccurate information, he said.
Philadelphia-area hospitals respond
Across the Philadelphia region, three Penn Medicine hospitals scored the highest marks for explaining medication side effects.
More than half of survey respondents who stayed at Chester County Hospital, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania said staff “always” explained side effects. About a quarter of respondents said they had received such information “sometimes” or “never” during their stay at the Penn hospitals.
Lower Bucks Hospital and Roxborough Memorial Hospital — both owned by California-based Prime Healthcare Foundation — received the region’s lowest marks for explaining side effects.
Forty-five percent of survey respondents said Lower Bucks staff had “never” or only “sometimes explained side effects, while 34% said they had “always” received such information during their stay.
Michelle Aliprantis, a spokesperson for Prime, said the 2024-2025 data in the CMS survey does not reflect more recent efforts at the hospitals to improve bedside medication education and postdischarge follow-up. The health system has also expanded pharmacy consultation to ensure patients understand medications.
“We are always focused on continued improvement,” Aliprantis said in a statement.
Virtua’s chief medical officer said the health system closely monitors results from the CMS survey, which includes responses from about 2,000 patients across the New Jersey hospital system.
Administrators review feedback from a total of some 300,000 consumers a year from satisfaction surveys, Google ratings, and other ratings systems.
Virtua has been working to improve consistency and patient communication.
“We remain committed to listening, learning, and improving so that every patient receives clear, compassionate, and consistent communication,” she said.
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