Home Company News New Data Finds Patient Experience Hits a Five-Year High, Though Inequity and Generational Differences Remain

New Data Finds Patient Experience Hits a Five-Year High, Though Inequity and Generational Differences Remain

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Chicago

Press Ganey, the leading provider of experience measurement, analytics, and insights to health systems and health plans, has released new data on the patient experience. Analyzing feedback from 6.5 million patient encounters in the U.S., the report provides insight into how patients feel about healthcare experiences today, informing strategies for how healthcare organizations can drive patient trust and loyalty.

While patients nationwide report improved healthcare experiences, a deeper analysis shows that disparities persist by region, demographics, and care settings, illustrating that a one-size-fits-all approach to improving patient experience has inherent limitations.

Key findings include:

  • Patient experience is on the rise, but not universally. Patients reported more positive perceptions of their care in 2023 compared to the previous year, with experience in ambulatory surgery and medical practices hitting five-year highs (85.3 and 84.1 out of 100, respectively). While hospitals and emergency departments are improving, they haven’t yet fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels. 
  • Hidden inequities shape PX. Underrepresented populations in the inpatient setting report substantially lower perceptions of empathy and personalization of care. In medical practices, these gaps are even more pronounced. Non-White patients universally report lower scores than the average, with a 7-point gap between White and Asian patients.
  • Gen Z and millennials are being left behind. Gen Z and millennial patients want more information about conditions, medications, and treatments, but that need isn’t being met. Younger patients report lower perceptions of experience—their “likelihood to recommend” scores show a 7.7-point gap between patients age 18–34 and those in the 65–79 age range.
  • Regions that have historically lagged behind are seeing the most improvement. AHA region 2 (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) improved the most YOY—jumping +1.8 points to 67.2. But AHA region 7 (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas) still leads the pack, with a +0.7 gain to hit 72.9. Nevada continues to hold the #1 spot for patient experience, rising +2.3 points to 78.5.  

The report includes recommended strategies to improve patient experience, including using segmented data to provide more personalized care to patients by considering demographics, care settings and specialty. Healthcare organizations that lead in patient experience also recognize the importance of continuously listening to patients and their employees so they can make timely and targeted improvements.

“Data holds the key to driving meaningful improvements, helping healthcare organizations personalize care, address disparities, and create exceptional experiences for all patients,” said Patrick Ryan, Press Ganey’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Top-scoring organizations in patient experience embrace data-driven strategies to break down silos, pinpoint areas for improvement, and identify what’s working well.”

To read the full report, visit: pressganey.com/px24

PG Forsta is the leading provider of experience technology, data analytics, and insights that help companies better understand and serve their customers employees, and stakeholders. PG Forsta powers the Human Experience (HX) Platform—a suite of experience and research solutions that break down the silos between Customer Experience(CX), Employee Experience (EX), Patient Experience (PX), and Market Research. It serves more than 43,000 clients globally across healthcare, financial services, hospitality, market research, professional services, retail, and technology.

Press Ganey partners with healthcare providers and health plans to improve the experiences of their patients, consumers, and workforce by marrying data with unparalleled technology, analytics, and expertise. Our Human Experience (HX) platform unites and enlivens disparate data, enabling clients to gather, analyze, visualize, and act on key insights to retain talent, improve access to care, and ensure the care journey is safe, equitable, and patient-centered. We are the trusted partner to 41,000+ healthcare provider organizations globally and 85% of health plans in the United States. Press Ganey is a PG Forsta company.

Forsta powers the HX (Human Experience) Platform—a suite of experience and research solutions that break down the silos between Customer Experience (CX), Employee Experience (EX), and Market Research—so that companies can get a deeper, more complete understanding of the experiences of their audiences. Forsta’s technology, combined with its team of expert consultants, helps thousands of organizations across a variety of industries, including financial services, hospitality, market research, professional services, retail, and technology. Forsta is recognized as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant for Voice of the Customer. Forsta is a PG Forsta company.

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