Press Ganey Releases National Report on Patient Perspectives of Physician Office and Outpatient Care

    SOUTH BEND, Ind., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Overall patient satisfaction
 continues to rise in physician office and outpatient care, while patients
 report staff's sensitivity to their needs, timely appointments and
 pleasantness of the environment as high priorities for satisfactory patient
 care. These results were published today in the 2007 Physician's Office and
 Outpatient Pulse Report: Patient Perspectives on American Health Care by
 Press Ganey Associates Inc., the health care industry's leading provider of
 measurement and improvement services.
     The report examines the experiences of more than 4.6 million patients
 treated at 6,163 doctor's offices and more than 2,500 outpatient facilities
 throughout the nation in 2006. Key findings in the report include:
     --  On average, patients wait 24 minutes at the doctor's office and 23
         minutes for outpatient care.
 
     --  Staff sensitivity to patient needs, response to concerns/complaints,
         communication of reasons for delayed care and overall cheerfulness of
         the practice are top priorities for patient satisfaction.
 
     --  There is significant variation in both satisfaction levels and wait
         times based on the type of procedure (chemotherapy vs. x-ray) and the
         type of care provider being seen (physician vs. physician assistant).
 
     --  Patients typically face longer waits on a weekend than during the
         week.
     The report highlights research and recommendations from four distinct
 areas: physician's office, outpatient care, oncology, and same-day surgery.
 It details several opportunities for improvement for health care providers,
 including clear communication of reasons for delay, improvement of waiting
 room comfort and tailored attention to individuals' preferences.
     "Patient needs are at the center of quality care," says Press Ganey COO
 Dr. Paul Worland. "With the rise of consumer-directed health care and the
 push for medical transparency, this report is a roadmap for what medical
 providers need to consider in order to meet growing consumer demands."
     Press Ganey's 2007 Physician's Office and Outpatient Pulse Report:
 Patient Perspectives on American Health Care report is available at
 http://www.pressganey.com/outpatient-report.pdf.
     Press Ganey Associates, Inc.
     For more than twenty years, Press Ganey has been committed to providing
 insight that allows health care organizations to improve the quality of
 care they provide. The company offers the largest comparative customer
 feedback databases, actionable data, solution resources, and unparalleled
 customer service. Press Ganey currently partners with more than 7,000
 health care facilities -- including nearly 40% of U.S. hospitals -- to
 measure and improve the quality of their care.
 
 

SOURCE Press Ganey Associates, Inc.