Press Ganey releases 'Patient Perspectives on American Health Care' report

Press Ganey Associates, Inc. released today the 2009 Hospital Pulse Report: Patient Perspectives on American Health Care. The report examines patient satisfaction across the country; trends in overall patient perceptions; and variations based on metropolitan areas, services provided within the hospital, hospital size, and patient age. The report offers a valuable snapshot of the patient experience, which is increasingly important information as health care reforms further mandate transparency of and reimbursement based on quality of care and patient satisfaction data.

The Hospital Pulse Report examines the experiences of nearly three million patients treated at more than 2,000 hospitals nationwide in 2008, and the data shows a six-year trend toward higher patient satisfaction with inpatient hospitals. The Hospital Pulse Report provides a comprehensive indicator of the perceived quality of hospital care, and some of the highlights include:

• Response to concerns/complaints, addressing emotional needs, and including patients in treatment decisions are the top three opportunities for hospitals to improve.
• Elderly (over age 80) and young middle-aged (age 35-49) patients are among the least satisfied with their experience of care.
• Maine has the highest patient satisfaction among the 50 states, followed by South Carolina, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Montana.
• Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the metro area with highest patient satisfaction, followed by Columbus, Ohio; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Cleveland, Ohio; and Toledo, Ohio.*
• Obstetrics/Gynecology patients were the most satisfied among the major specialties, followed by Intensive Care and Cardiology/Coronary.

"Overall we are pleased to see the increased efforts and sustained results even through tough economic times," said Deirdre Mylod, Ph.D., vice president of hospital services, Press Ganey. "With health care reform on the horizon, we are optimistic we will see additional improvements in the patient experience, as hospitals will have even more evidence for the synergies between patient satisfaction and the bottom line, especially with regard to reimbursement."

In April 2008, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began requiring all hospitals to publicly report data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, which offers inpatient satisfaction data, similar to the survey developed by Press Ganey more than two decades ago. In October, seven months after the start of HCAHPS reporting, Press Ganey data showed inpatient satisfaction scores had climbed more significantly than at any other point in the 24 years that Press Ganey has been tracking the data.

"We have seen a direct positive correlation between high satisfaction ratings and financial success so this data is promising for hospitals as the economy improves and financial outlooks improve," said Dr. Mylod. "Those hospitals who are seeing the greatest results in this new initiative are the ones that are utilizing quality improvement data and improvement initiatives to drive their publicly reported results."

The Hospital Pulse Report data also shows satisfied patients are more likely to recommend the facility to family and friends, thus increasing market share and the organization's bottom line. An enhanced community reputation also leads to greater patient volumes. Better staff buy-in to improvement efforts leads to a more positive atmosphere for patients and better care, and independent scholarly research continues to provide evidence that more satisfied patients are less likely to file malpractice lawsuits.