Unprecedented Spike in Patient Satisfaction Follows Launch of Public Reporting

SOUTH BEND, Ind., Sept. 24 Press Ganey Associates, Inc.,the health care industry's leading provider of quality improvement solutions,today released data showing an unprecedented improvement in patientsatisfaction -- a result that underscores the impact of public reporting ofhospital-by-hospital satisfaction scores.

Press Ganey experts analyzed the company's proprietary patientsatisfaction data -- including Hospital Consumer Assessment of HealthcareProviders and Systems (HCAHPS) measures -- for hospitals that began reportingHCAHPS data in March 2008, and found a dramatic upturn in patient satisfaction,which strengthens the link between public disclosure and health care quality.

The data analyzed by Press Ganey represents more than 1.5 million patientsand 1,158 hospitals across the nation from January 2007 through June 2008*.

Following the first public release of HCAHPS data in March, a positiveyear-over-year increase in performance was seen in April. This further widenedto statistically significant year-over-year increases for the months of Mayand June. These trends were noted both for the percentage of patients ratingtheir hospital as a 9 or 10 as well as the percentage of patients who saidthey would definitely recommend the facility, which directly impacts ahospital's patient volumes and its revenue.

Press Ganey has been looking at patient satisfaction data very closely for23 years, and these trends represent the most positive service qualitydelivery in inpatient care that our nation has ever experienced.

"We have always seen a slow and steady improvement in patient-centeredcare over the years. The HCAHPS measures show a dramatic increase timedfollowing the public reporting which indicates that everyone really stepped uptheir efforts -- and the results are astounding," said Dr. Deirdre Mylod, vicepresident of acute services at Press Ganey. "We were anticipating that therecould be such improvements on the HCAHPS measures because we've notedsignificant year-over-year improvements each month of 2008 for important PressGaney concept areas such as coordination of care -- a key driver of HCAHPSresults that is not included within the HCAHPS measure set."

American Hospital Association President and CEO Rich Umbdenstockcommented: "Sharing information from the HCAHPS survey about patients'experience of care is one of the many ways hospitals are being transparentabout the quality of care they provide. HCAHPS is useful information consumerscan use to make important health care decisions, and that hospitals are usingto improve the care for patients. Press Ganey's analysis shows that hospitals,doctors, and nurses care deeply about meeting patients' needs and will work toimprove care in response to the thoughts and concerns of those they serve.America's hospitals will continue their efforts to share even more informationon the quality of care provided to their patients."

The graphs of these Press Ganey data points are now available athttp://www.pressganey.com/galleries/default-file/HCAHPS_Graphs.pdf.

Commentary from Dr. Mylod is available upon request.

HCAHPS data is available on the Hospital Compare website,http://www.HospitalCompare.hhs.gov. Hospital Compare is a consumer-orientedwebsite that provides side-by-side information on hospital quality. This toolprovides consumers with information on how well hospitals care for their adultpatients with certain medical conditions or surgical procedures. Thisinformation will help patients compare the quality of care hospitals provideand will help consumers make informed decisions about their care.

Press Ganey Associates, Inc.

For more than 20 years, Press Ganey has been committed to providinginsight that allows health care organizations to improve the quality of carethey provide while improving their bottom-line results. The company offers thela