Quality of Care and Patient Satisfaction

THE increase in consumerism in the Health Service has focused attention on patients' perceptions of, and satisfaction with, the service they receive. The implication that acknowledging patients' views is an innovation is deeply resented by those who have worked hard to respond to their patients' needs and desires for many years. However, there is an increased understanding that patient satisfaction is an integral part of quality care, and that some form of measurement can aid performance in this area. The problems are what to measure, how to measure and how valid are measurements.