Top 10 Metro Areas for Emergency Department Satisfaction Released by Press Ganey

SOUTH BEND, Ind., Aug. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Miami, Hartford and Indianapolis
ranked at the top in Press Ganey’s annual report on patient satisfaction in
hospital emergency departments. A survey of more than 1.6 million patients
treated at 1,908 hospitals nationwide between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2010 gauged
their experiences and how satisfied they were with the treatment they received
in the emergency department.

Press Ganey ranked the major metro areas (population of at least 1 million)
based on an overall score. The top 10 results include:

Rank Major Metro Area Score
1 Miami-Ft. Lauderdale 87.0
2 Hartford, Conn. 86.8
3 Indianapolis 86.5
4 Columbus, Ohio 86.4
5 Milwaukee 86.2
6 New Orleans 85.6
– Boston 85.6
– Philadelphia 85.6
9 Detroit 85.3
10 Chicago 85.2

In smaller metro areas (population less than 1 million), the top 10 Press Ganey
rankings include:

Rank Smaller Metro Area Score
1 Wichita, Kan. 88.2
2 Madison, Wis. 87.4
3 Grand Rapids, Mich. 86.8
4 Greenville, S.C. 86.4
5 Honolulu, Hawaii 86.2
6 Allentown-Bethlehem, Pa. 85.8
– Dayton, Ohio 85.8
8 Toledo, Ohio 85.7
– Stamford-Norwalk, Conn. 85.7
10 Baton Rouge, La. 85.6

“Hospitals in these metro areas have done a good job in satisfying the needs of
the patients in the emergency department,” said Deirdre Mylod, vice president,
hospital services, Press Ganey. “As hospitals are facing increasing challenges,
patients in these markets are reporting that they are more satisfied than those
in other markets.”

One additional key finding from the survey is that regardless of what metro area
they are in, patients placed the highest priority on being kept informed about
emergency department delays – a higher emphasis over such factors as how well
pain was controlled and overall rating of the care received.

“Patients would, of course, prefer a more efficient process,” said Mylod. “But
good communication helps them understand the processes within the emergency
department environment and shows them that staff has not forgotten them.
Frequent, proactive communication improves both the quality of patient care and
the manner in which patients perceive their care. Hospitals ranked at the top of
these metro area lists likely have good communications procedures, among other
factors, in place to make patients more satisfied.”

Many hospitals are instituting procedures such as whiteboards in exam rooms to
keep patients informed about treatments or delays. Also, welcome letters or
pamphlets provided by the hospital help patients understand the process of
triage, treatment, etc.

In addition to improved communications, hospitals can also evaluate how
inefficient patient flow throughout the hospital can lead to delays and lower
satisfaction levels in the emergency department.

“Patient flow bottlenecks have a profound impact on a hospital’s quality of
care,” added Mylod. “By examining and changing the patient flow process,
including changing operating room schedules, hospitals can ultimately avoid
overcrowding, diversions and boarding in the emergency department.”

Other results of improved patient flow include reducing waiting times for
emergent/urgent surgeries by 25-50%, increasing compliance rate for waiting time
guidelines to approximately 90% and enhanced patient and staff satisfaction.

Press Ganey Associates, Inc.

Recognized as a leader in performance improvement for 25 years, Press Ganey
partners with more than 10,000 health care organizations to create and sustain
high performing organizations, and, ultimately, improve the overall health care
experience. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions to help
clients operate efficiently, improve quality, increase market share and optimize
reimbursement. Press Ganey works with clients from across the continuum of care
- hospitals, medical practices, home care agencies and other providers -
including 50% of all U.S. hospitals. For more information, visit
www.pressganey.com.

SOURCE Press Ganey Associates, Inc.