LINCOLN, NE, Neb., Aug. 3, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MedStar Health has extended its nearly five-year relationship with National Research Corporation (NASDAQ: NRCIA and NRCIAB), as well as, expanded it with access to National Research transparency solutions across its system.
MedStar is a not-for-profit health system dedicated to caring for people in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region. MedStar's 30,000 associates, 6,000 affiliated physicians, 10 hospitals, multiple ambulatory care and urgent care centers, and the MedStar Health Research Institute are recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care. MedStar's patient-first philosophy combines care, compassion and clinical excellence with an emphasis on customer service.
By implementing the National Research transparency solution, MedStar has become the first health system in the mid-Atlantic region to use existing patient experience survey data to publish independently verified ratings on their websites and physician profile pages. See an example at www.nationalresearch.com/MedStar.
Stephen R.T. Evans, MD, MedStar's executive vice president for Medical Affairs and chief medical officer, said the expansion of this relationship is part of the health system's digital transformation to enhance the consumer's experience in accessing quality care. "Studies increasingly show health system selection to be driven by prior experiences and reputation. With upwards of 77 percent of consumers trusting online ratings as much as personal 'word of mouth' recommendations," Dr. Evans said, "the new National Research solution, based on a large number of patient experience surveys, presents valid and reliable patient experience ratings that consumers can use with confidence when making healthcare decisions. We at MedStar are committed to sharing this information in a transparent manner."
"We're proud to partner with a progressive health system like MedStar as they amplify a more customer-centered model of care," said Steve Jackson, Group President at National Research. "Listening to your consumers and, in return, allowing them to learn from the experiences shared by thousands of patients builds a high level of confidence and trust. It's an honor to partner with MedStar along this journey."
In the interest of furthering the industry-wide movement toward consumer-focused transparency, National Research has launched a resource center for healthcare organizations looking to implement transparency programs. The site contains case study examples, nation-wide healthcare consumer study results, as well as a best practice methodology for converting CAHPS scores to five-star ratings. To learn more, visit www.hctransparency.org.
About MedStar Health
MedStar Health is a not-for-profit health system dedicated to caring for people in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, while advancing the practice of medicine through education, innovation and research. MedStar's 30,000 associates, 6,000 affiliated physicians, 10 hospitals, ambulatory care and urgent care centers, and the MedStar Health Research Institute are recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care. As the medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University, MedStar trains more than 1,100 medical residents annually. MedStar Health's patient-first philosophy combines care, compassion and clinical excellence with an emphasis on customer service. For more information, visit MedStarHealth.org.
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.
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.
For more information, call 800-388-4264, write to info@nationalresearch.com, or visit www.nationalresearch.com.