Press Ganey Scores Are In
To meet the highest standard of quality patient care, BWH is committed to measuring patient satisfaction on a continual and timely basis. Since January 2001, Press Ganey Associates, Inc. (PGA), BWH’s survey vendor, has administered patient surveys and provided four rounds of reports assessing quality and improvement at the hospital. Recently compiled fourth quarter results (Q4) reflect continued high marks for nursing and physician care, as well as significant progress across several other key areas. The Q4 feedback was collected from more than 2,000 patients whose hospital stay occurred from October to December 2001.
Increasing almost 20 percentile points from the first quarter, BWH’s overall mean score for Q4 placed the hospital in the 84th percentile when compared to other academic medical centers with more than 500 beds.
One of the highest scoring sections of the survey was the one related to physician care. The chart below includes the results of five questions that comprise the physician section. With four quarters of data in hand, BWH’s Patient Satisfaction Steering Committee has been able to use PGA’s analysis to track whether targeted improvement efforts are having desired effects.
While the Patient Satisfaction Committee continues to identify areas of development, the overall rankings show progress across most categories. Percentile gains of more than ten points since Q1, reflecting a marked improvement, occurred in the dimensions of Admissions, Discharge and Personal Issues. In these areas, several key projects and initiatives have been implemented over the past year to meet patient needs and overcome past challenges.
The Center for Clinical Excellence is responsible for the oversight of survey administration and result reporting. The hospital-wide Patient Satisfaction Steering Committee, chaired by Robert Goldszer, MD, MBA, associate chief medical officer, is responsible for overseeing the BWH patient satisfaction agenda, and prioritizing and supporting improvement initiatives.
For more information, contact: either Michael Gustafson, MD, MBA, executive director of the Center for Clinical Excellence, or Robert Goldszer, MD, MBA, associate chief medical officer.