Patient experience in 2024

Press Ganey

In today's competitive healthcare landscape, patient experience (PX) is more important than ever. It's the key to building trust and loyalty. And it’s more than just good bedside manner—the true patient experience extends beyond the “four walls,” encompassing everything from provider research to appointment booking to follow-up communications and more.

After a few rocky years, PX scores are finally on the mend—even reaching five-year highs in certain settings. Our “Patient experience in 2024” report, based on data from 6.5 million patient encounters across the U.S., digs into key insights into the care journey to help you elevate your PX strategy.

Key patient experience takeaways for 2024

Patient experience is making strides. But there’s still room for improvement. PX surged in 2023, with ambulatory surgery and medical practices hitting five-year highs. While hospitals and emergency departments are improving, they haven't yet fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
Even where patient experience is improving, not all institutions are keeping pace. Improving PX at the unit level is key to sustaining and building upon positive momentum.
Hidden inequities shape PX. In hospitals, underrepresented populations report lower scores in empathy, care personalization, and addressing concerns. In medical practices, the gap is even wider, with a 7-point spread between Asian and White patients. Understanding where these gaps exist—and their root causes—is critical to improving healthcare access and ensuring an equitable patient experience for all.
Gen Z and millennials are being left behind. Gen Z and millennials have sky-high expectations for a seamless journey. But younger patients report lower perceptions of experience—LTR scores show a 7.7-point gap between patients age 18–34 and the 65–79 cohort. To reach younger patients, healthcare organizations must adapt to their evolving needs and expectations, and meet them where they are.
Transparency builds trust. Uncertainty breeds unease. Specialties with planned admissions, like cardiac surgery (79.3) and obstetrics (76.7), score highest in patient loyalty, while scores for unplanned admissions typically rank toward the bottom. Smooth and seamless communication throughout the care journey is crucial for a positive patient experience.
Regions that have historically lagged behind are seeing the most improvement. AHA region 2 (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) improved the most YOY—jumping +1.8 points to 67.2. But AHA region 7 (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas) still leads the pack, with a +0.7 gain to hit 72.9. Nevada continues to lead the pack, rising +2.3 points since 2022.

Download our report to explore these topics (and many more). Discover key strategies for boosting the patient experience—as well as the financial health of your organization.