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Friday, January 8, 2010

2009 Hospital Report

According to Press Ganey Associates’ 2009 Hospital Pulse Report, the Physician Perspectives on American Hospitals found physicians’ overall satisfaction with fully functioning electronic medical records (EMRs) is on a downhill slope. Many physicians actually consider the increasingly common technology to be very time-consuming. Some fear that it may compromise patient safety and the security of their information. 

The report also finds that, for the third year in a row, physicians’ number one complaint is a gap in the physician-administration relationship. Physicians continue to stress a need for a much better line of communication between administrators and medical staff.

The 2009 Physician Pulse Report surveyed the experiences of 27,328 physicians practicing at nearly 300 hospitals and facilities across the country. Some other significant findings detailed in the report include:
  • Physicians who work in government-owned hospitals are reporting a lower satisfaction with their hospitals than peers in community-owned and teaching hospitals. The difference in the score is 6.3 points – a significant variance.
  • Physicians practicing in psychiatry, pediatrics and emergency medicine are those most highly satisfied within their practice when grouped by specialty. Those least satisfied include physicians dealing with cardiovascular disease, anesthesiologists, and general and orthopedic surgeons.
  • Physicians who have been practicing for less than five years, and those who have been practicing for over 20 years are the most satisfied.
  • Although many physicians would like to see improvements in EMRs, most are satisfied with their facilities’ ability to provide up-to-date medical equipment.
  • One of the top concerns of physicians is their confidence in hospital administration to carry out its duties and responsibilities.


“Open communication between administrators and physicians is vital not only to their relationship, but also to the bottom-line of the hospital,”
said Deirdre Mylod, PhD, vice president of hospital services, Press Ganey.
“So much of a hospital’s business is based on physician referrals, and competition among hospitals and surgical facilities continues to heat up. If administrators and physicians can improve communication, the effects will trickle down and lead to more satisfied patients and a better bottom-line.”
Findings of the survey show that physicians satisfaction level improves when hospitals put targeted programs in place, such as a monthly newsletter from the CEO, a 1-800 number for physicians to call with concerns (and a 48 hour return call guarantee), and a commitment to take simple steps like keeping physicians in updated on important issues such as hospital finances.

You can download a full copy of the report here.

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