National Research Corporation
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| National Research Corporation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | National Research Corporation |
| Type | Public |
| Industry | Healthcare analytics |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Headquarters | Wichita, Kansas |
| Key people | Mark S. Fleming; Warren Buffett; Ken Griffin |
| Revenue | US$ (varies by year) |
| Num employees | (varies) |
| Website | (company website) |
National Research Corporation is an American firm specializing in healthcare performance improvement, patient experience measurement, and market intelligence. The company provides analytics, survey instruments, benchmarking, and advisory services to hospitals, health systems, and care providers across the United States and internationally. Founded in the early 1970s, the organization evolved alongside shifts in Health maintenance organizations, Medicare policy, and the rise of value-based care, interacting with institutions such as The Joint Commission, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and academic centers including Johns Hopkins University and Mayo Clinic.
History
National Research Corporation traces its origins to market research and survey work in the 1970s, contemporaneous with the expansion of Medicare and policy debates in the United States Congress. During the 1980s and 1990s the firm expanded its product portfolio amid mergers and acquisitions similar to transactions involving IMS Health and Veritas Capital portfolio companies. In the 2000s, the company aligned its services with accreditation movements led by The Joint Commission and regulatory changes influenced by rulings from the Supreme Court of the United States and policy decisions by the Department of Health and Human Services. Strategic partnerships and contracts brought the firm into relationships with large providers such as Kaiser Permanente, Cleveland Clinic, and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Services and Products
The company's offerings include patient-experience surveys, staff engagement instruments, market share analytics, and performance benchmarking. Tools are positioned to support compliance with standards set by The Joint Commission and payment models under Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services programs such as those related to Accountable Care Organizations. The product suite integrates survey methodologies similar to approaches used by Pew Research Center and Gallup, and analytical frameworks comparable to those in SAS Institute and IBM Watson Health solutions. Services often interface with electronic systems from vendors like Epic Systems and Cerner Corporation for data capture and reporting.
Market Position and Clients
National Research Corporation competes in a market alongside firms such as Press Ganey, Healthgrades, Truven Health Analytics, and OptumInsight. Its client base includes acute-care hospitals, community health systems, specialty clinics, and governmental agencies. Major customers have included regional systems like HCA Healthcare, academic centers like Stanford Health Care, and municipal health departments associated with cities like Chicago and Los Angeles. The company has participated in procurement processes with buying groups and networks including Premier, Inc. and Vizient.
Corporate Governance and Management
Corporate governance has featured a board of directors with executives drawn from finance, healthcare, and technology sectors. Leadership transitions have occurred as the firm adapted to consolidation trends seen in companies such as McKesson Corporation and Cardinal Health. Executive management has engaged with investor communities including institutional holders like BlackRock and Vanguard Group, and has navigated shareholder interests comparable to public filings of peers listed on exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange.
Financial Performance
Historically, the company's financial performance reflected demand cycles in healthcare spending, reimbursement shifts from Fee-for-service to value-based arrangements, and consolidation trends exemplified by acquisitions in the healthcare analytics sector. Revenues and profitability have been influenced by contract renewals with large systems such as Tenet Healthcare and CommonSpirit Health, and by macroeconomic factors tracked by indices like the S&P 500. Capital raising, mergers, and potential buyout discussions mirrored activity seen with firms acquired by KKR, TPG Capital, and strategic buyers in the healthcare technology market.
Research and Methodology
Methodological approaches emphasize validated survey instruments, psychometric testing, and statistical benchmarking. Techniques draw from survey science practiced at institutions like RAND Corporation and Pew Research Center and adopt analytic methods used in epidemiological research at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and clinical trials frameworks from Food and Drug Administration guidance. The company has published white papers and participated in conferences alongside organizations such as American Hospital Association, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
Controversies and Criticism
Critiques have focused on issues common to the healthcare-survey industry: sampling biases, response rates, and the implications of patient-experience metrics on clinical behavior. Debates mirror controversies involving Press Ganey and Medicare reporting programs about how metrics influence physician incentives and hospital rankings. Questions have arisen concerning transparency of methodologies during contract negotiations with systems like HCA Healthcare and public reporting practices comparable to disputes experienced by Healthgrades and other ranking outfits. Critics often invoke academic studies from Harvard Medical School and University of Pennsylvania that examine the unintended consequences of performance measurement in healthcare.
Category:Health care companies of the United States Category:Companies established in 1971