LINCOLN, Neb., Oct. 13, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National Research Corporation is pleased to announce the 2014-2015 Consumer Choice Award winners. The award identifies top hospitals that healthcare consumers have chosen as having the highest quality and image throughout the U.S. This is the 19th year National Research has awarded hospitals with consumer-driven recognition for providing the highest quality healthcare.
Winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in the company's Market Insights survey, the largest online healthcare consumer survey in the country. This study surveys over 290,000 households in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia. From the households surveyed, hospitals named by consumers are analyzed and ranked based on their Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, with the winning facilities being ranked the highest.
Brian Wynne, Vice President of Sales at National Research, commented on the award.
"Consumers are taking a more active role in their healthcare. They aren't just going to the nearest hospital – they are doing their research, going online, and asking around. Smart healthcare brands recognize this consumer empowerment," said Wynne. "This year's winners have taken steps to ensure their brand is well-perceived in their market, and they have been chosen as having the best doctors, best nurses, best overall quality, and best image and reputation by the consumers they serve."
The Market Insights survey is the nation's largest and most comprehensive study of its kind. No other study measures hospital performance and preferences and contains more consumer responses than this study. The study has a margin of error of + or – 0.2 percent at a national level. Consumer Choice co-winners are named when scores fall within the statistical margin of error for a given market.
Learn more about the award's methodology, and see the complete list of winners at www.nationalresearch.com/ConsumerChoice.
Also, read our blog that discusses a recent infographic on consumerism and healthcare brands.
About National Research Corporation
For more than 30 years, National Research Corporation (NASDAQ: NRCIA and NRCIB) has been at the forefront of patient-centered care. Today, the company's focus on empowering customer-centric healthcare across the continuum extends patient-centered care to incorporate families, communities, employees, senior housing residents, and other stakeholders.
Recognized by Modern Healthcare as the largest patient satisfaction firm in the U.S., National Research is dedicated to representing the true voice of patients and other healthcare stakeholders. This integration of cross-continuum metrics and analytics uncovers insights for effective performance improvement, quality measurement, care transitions, and many other factors that impact population health management.
National Research is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. For more information, call 800-388-4264, write to info@nationalresearch.com, or visit www.nationalresearch.com.