July 21, 2025
Patients Trust Hospitals That Get the Basics Right
In a complex care environment, patient loyalty still hinges on simple truths like feeling safe, being heard, and seeing care teams work together.
A new report from Press Ganey, based on 10.5 million patient encounters, shows that health systems delivering on these fundamentals are pulling ahead in trust, experience, and long-term loyalty.
The Patient Experience 2025 report draws on data from every care setting and confirms that the most reliable predictor of strong patient outcomes is consistency. When safety protocols are clear, communication is timely, and care teams operate as one, patients are far more likely to recommend a provider and return for future care.
Patients Know When Systems Are Not Working Well
Lapses in reliability such as disjointed touchpoints or unplanned admissions continue to undermine experience. Patients admitted unexpectedly are 16% less likely to recommend the hospital, a figure tied directly to communication breakdowns and lack of clarity during critical moments.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that oversees national health insurance programs like Medicare and Medicaid, has begun asking patients directly whether their care team “worked well together.” Press Ganey’s analysis found a direct correlation between internal collaboration and higher “Likelihood to Recommend” (LTR) scores across all care settings.
In short, organisational culture and communication are now visible to patients and they influence whether someone stays or walks away.
Safety and Equity Make or Break Trust
When patients rate their care as “very safe,” LTR scores rise dramatically. When they don’t, those scores fall below the 1st percentile, highlighting how central safety is to loyalty.
The same goes for equity. Health systems that deliver consistent experiences across demographics are nearly three times more likely to be top performers. Equity, the report shows, is not a compliance issue but a core driver of excellence.
Despite challenges, patient experience scores are improving. Since 2019, LTR has climbed 2.8 points in medical practices, 1.7 in ambulatory surgery centres, and 0.5 in emergency departments. Inpatient scores are also rising, up 0.9 points year over year.
The Shift to Built-In Reliability
Top-performing systems have now moved onto embedding reliability into operations. They employ proactive follow-ups and foster consistent team behaviours to improve the experience.
Chrissy Daniels, Chief Experience Officer of Press Ganey, said: “Patient experience reflects how a system lives its mission—one person at a time. The most forward-thinking leaders apply high-reliability principles across the care continuum, from bedside to digital. When patients feel safe, supported, and respected, outcomes improve—and trust is earned.”
Post-discharge communication can boost loyalty scores by more than 20 points, proving that small, timely actions still carry enormous weight in shaping trust.
