Miami is top metro area for ED patient satisfaction, report finds

Topics: Patient Satisfaction, Quality, Performance Improvement, Emergency Department, Service Lines

August 12, 2011

  1. Hospital ED patient satisfaction is highest in Miami, Hartford, Conn., and Indianapolis, according to an annual ED patient satisfaction report.
     
    The Press Ganey survey analyzed data for more than 1.6 million patients treated at 1,908 hospitals nationwide between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2010, to gauge their satisfaction with treatment received in the ED. Based on the findings, Press Ganey determined that the top 10 major metropolitan areas—which had a population of at least one million residents—include:
     
    1. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale;
    2. Hartford, Conn.;
    3. Indianapolis;
    4. Columbus, Ohio;
    5. Milwaukee;
    6. New Orleans;
    7. Boston;
    8. Philadelphia;
    9. Detroit; and
    10. Chicago.
     
    Press Ganey also identified the top 10 smaller metro areas—which had a population of fewer than one million residents—for ED patient satisfaction. They include:
     
    1. Wichita, Kan.;
    2. Madison, Wis.;
    3. Grand Rapids, Mich.;
    4. Greenville, S.C.;
    5. Honolulu, Hawaii;
    6. Allentown-Bethlehem, Pa.;
    7. Dayton, Ohio;
    8. Toledo, Ohio;
    9. Stamford-Norwalk, Conn.; and
    10. Baton Rouge, La.
     
    The survey findings revealed that patients place a premium on being kept informed about ED delays. "[G]ood communication helps [patients] understand the processes within the ED environment and shows them that staff has not forgotten them," the company's vice president of hospital services said. She noted that hospitals should examine and adapt patient flow to avoid overcrowding and increase satisfaction.
     
    According to Healthcare Finance News, the report also suggested that ED patient satisfaction is directly correlated to a hospital's bottom line. "When you look at patient flow, patients who left without being seen or without being treated for whatever reason, usually because of the wait, have a financial impact on a hospital," Press Ganey's senior vice president for clinical and operational consulting services said (Letourneau, Healthcare Finance News, 8/10; Press Ganey release, 8/10).