A Review on Patient Satisfaction: Methodology and Meaning in Evaluating Medical Care

Abstract

Measuring patient satisfaction, a subjective evaluation by patients, is a useful method to evaluating medical care, especially the dimension of doctor–patient relationship. It is also a valuable way for patients to paticipate in their medical care and a means for care providers to learn their patient’s opinions.

To achieve a multilateral evaluation of medical care, a compound use of patient satisfaction, peer review, and evaluation by provider is desirble.

In this paper, the methodology of developing patient satisfaction scales, how they are serveyed, their useful application in medical care, and their effectiveness and limitations are described.