Report: Patients Spent an Average of Four Hours and Three Minutes in U.S. EDs in 2008

Authoritative Report on Emergency Department Experiences Released Today, Available at www.ImproveMyER.com

SOUTH BEND, Ind. , June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Press Ganey Associates, Inc., the health care industry's leading provider of quality improvement solutions, today released the 2009 Emergency Department Pulse Report: Patient Perspectives on American Health Care. According to the report, patients now spend an average total time of 4 hours and 3 minutes in the emergency room (ER), also known as the emergency department (ED). That is a 27-minute increase in the nationwide average time since 2002.

Press Ganey's Emergency Department Pulse Report analyzed the experiences of nearly 1.4 million patients treated at 1,725 emergency departments nationwide in 2008. Notable findings from the 2009 pulse report include:

"Today's health care landscape, shaped by quality initiatives, transparency, and consumer choice, gives patients the ability to decide for themselves where to receive care," says Richard Siegrist , president and chief executive officer of Press Ganey Associates. "Improving patient satisfaction in the emergency department is particularly critical for health care leaders because it is often the most visible public face of a hospital or health care system."

The report, along with "Press Ganey Solutions for Consumers" and "Press Ganey Tips for Hospital Administrators," is available at www.ImproveMyER.com. The site offers resources on emergency departments and improvement solutions for both consumers and administrators.

The findings and observations of the Emergency Department Pulse Report highlight progress being made in hospitals, emphasize areas for improvement, and explore the path to improving the quality of health care in the United States . Press Ganey works with emergency department administrators to assist them with best practices such as implementation of "fast tracks" or hiring dedicated staff charged with improving communication about delays in the ED. Other consultation tactics include:

"No patient wants to visit an emergency department; but when they do, Press Ganey's goal is to help hospitals treat the patient as quickly and efficiently as possible," said Siegrist. "Keeping the patient moving through the right phases of the hospital -- and communicating with them along the way -- is beneficial to the patient and the hospital."

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 while improving their bottom-line results. The company offers the largest comparative customer feedback databases, actionable data, solution resources, and unparalleled consulting and customer service. Press Ganey currently partners with more than 10,000 health care facilities--including over 40% of U.S. hospitals--to measure and improve the quality of their care.

Media Note: The 2009 Emergency Department Pulse Report: Patient Perspectives on American Health Care is now available at http://www.pressganey.com/galleries/press-releases/2009_ED_Pulse_Report_Press_Release.pdf. Podcast from the June 16 media Web Conference also is available.

SOURCE Press Ganey Associates, Inc.